We really hate to be the ones to break it to you, but the holidays have been cancelled. The Hershey Company — aka The Grinch — has been self-sabotaging their Hershey’s Kisses, and bakers are not happy about it. Christmas cookies have been ruined, spirits have been bludgeoned, and we may never look at Hershey’s the same way again.
The meltdown began on December 10th, when Laura Magone posted a call to action within her 10,000-member-strong Facebook group, “The Wedding Cookie Table Community.” Magone told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that a baker within her group had alerted her to the Hershey’s scandal about two weeks prior.
According to her source, Hershey’s has been snapping the tips of their Kisses on purpose to avoid breakage while in transport.
Magone was wary of this rumor until she bought four bags of Hershey’s Kisses for her holiday baking and found that every single Kiss had a nipped tip. She called customer service and a Hershey’s representative confirmed that yes, this was done on purpose. Unsettled, Magone looked to The Wedding Cookie Table Community for help.
“Hershey has told people on this page (including me today) they are intentionally breaking off the tips of the iconic American Hershey kiss at the factory so the tips don’t break off in transit — this makes no sense,” Magone wrote. “This didn’t happen when kisses were American made. (800) 468-1714. On the left — what’s advertised. On the right — what we get. Look at the current wrapping also. Not good. C’mon Hershey.”
Via the Post-Gazette, one baker from the Facebook group texted Hershey’s customer service, “I know this will sound funny, but when you are making hundreds of Christmas cookies and you have numerous bags of kisses and 95% don’t have the tips it does make a difference in presentation.”
Other across the country have taken note as well.
Seriously @Hersheys, what’s up with this? pic.twitter.com/iW4pfccLEn
— Pat Shaffer (@PatShafferWV) December 16, 2018
@Hersheys my Hershey's kisses for my peanut butter blossoms all look like their tips were cut off. I went through 4 bags. They are all not acceptable to use on my cookies
— Cheryl Hutton (@goaliemom1104) December 18, 2018
6 bags all with broken tips 😑 You’ve ruined my cookies. Well, that batch anyway.
— Kenny Wilson (@kenny_isnt_here) December 20, 2018
Please make kisses with pretty tips again!!! It looks like someone bit off the end of all my holiday kisses 🙁
— Bren🐻 (@brenlpeterson) December 20, 2018
Well damn. I just got some kisses to make cookies & now they'll be screwed up. Thanks Hershey dipshits. Hershey’s Kisses are missing their tips, and people aren’t happy https://t.co/b2R37WGkfS
— Marsha Bess (@marshabess1) December 19, 2018
Some believe that Hershey’s isn’t taking transportation precautions, but instead trying to swindle their customers out of chocolate.
There’s got to be a #math genius out there that can figure out how much money Hershey’s is saving by selling less chocolate per kiss. Also, did the net ounces listed on the bag change since they cut off the ends? #baking #hersheyskisses #consumerrights https://t.co/JrdLNrFW4H
— Stephanie Moulton Sarkis PhD (@StephanieSarkis) December 20, 2018
Companies do this all the time, think about how much money they will save by cutting the tips off all the kisses.
— Jay (@sk8ter043) December 19, 2018
Cutting corners.
— Suzy (@2EPNola) December 20, 2018
Hershey’s has addressed the issue, tweeting that the brand will “look into the situation.”
Jeff Beckman, Hershey’s director of corporate communications, told the Post-Gazette via email that he appreciates The Wedding Cookie Table Community’s concern for the Kisses’ appearance. He also said that the Hershey’s Kiss brand team is reaching out to members to donate baking supplies, “as a thank you for their love of the Hershey’s brand and our Kisses and to heartwarm their holidays.”
Hmm… sounds like a coverup to us. And as of today, December 20th, members of The Wedding Cookie group are still pissed.
In fact, new member Julianne Snyder did some sneaky investigative work and found that her Kisses looked as though they’ve been manipulated — that is, physically snipped.
“I am disappointed that Hershey has not provided a reason for the sloppy kisses and has not indicated when it will be corrected,” Snyder wrote. “I come from a long line of proud chocoholics of Pittsburgh, and I refuse to debase my art using the now inferior Hershey Kisses. I will be trying out both the milk chocolate AND the semisweet Wilbur Buds in my peanut butter blossoms this year.”
Oof.
After the holidays are over, Hershey’s has a lot of explaining to do.
