Hershey's revamps its chocolate ‘Kisses’ with original vanilla flavours

Leading chocolate maker Hershey's has started addressing the sensitivities of consumers and announced that it would keep the ingredients of its famous chocolates short and sweet.

Accordingly, the popular milk chocolate --Hershey's Kisses and bars have been re-engineered by adding real vanilla to replace the artificial flavor. Thanks to the change, customers will see a “natural flavor” as the artificial vanillin has been edged out and substituted with real vanilla to give the original flavor to the chocolates.

The Pennsylvania-based company revealed that it has embarked on a long drawn process to review the products to simplify their ingredients.

Real vanilla

The initiative makes Hershey's the latest player to join a slew of global food companies, which are removing artificial flavors, colors and ingredients to address the aspirations of consumers who are seeking less processed foods. The updated chocolates have started shipping and available at many stores, reports the Associated Press.

“We started making great-tasting chocolates in 1894 with ingredients you might find in your pantry, like cocoa, milk, sugar and vanilla, and continuing that tradition today,” said Mary-Ann Somers, vice president and general manager at Hershey's. She noted that people are keen to see the ingredients they are familiar with in foods.

Part of the trend

According to a report in Fortune, the move is part of a broader shift from big food companies to tinker with decades-old formulae of popular food items. The change is driven by the demands of millennials and health-conscious consumers who are moving away from many well-known brands seeking alternatives offered by newbie startups.

Many brands, sensing the message, have either reworked their ingredients or are in the process. Already Diet Pepsi, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup have announced changes to their formula and are taking out problematic ingredients.

Hershey's has also promised to remove Lactose from its chocolates and already banished Polyglycerol polyricinoleate or PGPR that allows better flow of chocolate in manufacturing plants from the bars. This has been replaced with cocoa butter to produce the right texture.

Hershey’s CEO John Bilbrey is on record that higher income consumers are seeking simple ingredients while millennials want brand attributes transcending transparency and more social responsibility.

The chocolate maker is also pioneering a label on the company’s Kisses package, which can be scanned with mobile devices that provide more information on the snack’s ingredients, nutritional facts and allergens.

“There is a growing expectation for companies to provide more transparency about all that goes into their products,” Hershey’s Somers said.

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