Hersheyland FAQs

Every person's situation is unique to his/her own allergen concerns. Hershey uses good manufacturing practices to control for the possibility of crossover of allergens into products that do not contain those allergens.

When a product does contain a major allergen, it is listed as an ingredient on our labels. The label includes an accurate, current listing of the ingredients in our products. Because, on occasion, the list of ingredients can change, we strongly encourage you to check the ingredient label on the package each time before you make a purchase. Learn more about our allergen labeling policy.

Most confectionery products are at their best flavor for one year after manufacture. Ingredients such as nuts will shorten the shelf life. Products kept beyond recommended "best before" date may have flavor loss or texture changes. Keep in mind, however, that storage conditions greatly affect the quality of our products.

Yes. This substitution can also be found on each Hershey's Cocoa can. 3 level tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening equals 1 ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate.

Yes! Our history in the town goes back more than 100 years, and we are committed to continue making the world's best chocolate products right here in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

In fact, the company has created one of the world's largest, most advanced chocolate facilities in Hershey. This project represents a significant investment and will ensure that we continue to make HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bars, HERSHEY’S KISSES Milk Chocolates, HERSHEY’S Syrup and REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups as well as a wide range of other products in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We also make about a million miles of TWIZZLERS Candies each year at our Lancaster facility, a few miles from Hershey.

We are always interested in hearing innovative ideas from our fans! Just head to our Ideas website to submit any suggestions you might have.

We have provided a list of current products that have been fully evaluated and qualify as gluten free using standards proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This list of gluten-free confections is available by clicking here.

Chocolate contains cocoa butter, a vegetable fat that is sensitive to heat and humidity. Temperatures above 75°F will cause chocolate to melt. The cocoa butter can rise to the surface and form a discoloration called "cocoa butter bloom." Condensation on milk or semi-sweet chocolate may cause the sugar to dissolve and rise to the surface as "sugar bloom." Chocolate that has "bloomed" is certainly safe to use, but flavor loss and texture changes may be noticed.

Check out this recipe.

While most of HERSHEY'S chocolate bars contain dairy, you can find our plant based options here.

The first HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate bar was sold in 1900 by Milton S. Hershey. The classic HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate bar has been referred to as “The Great American Chocolate Bar.”

There are 100+ HERSHEY’S products labeled as gluten free. Always refer to each package for current ingredients and allergen statements to make an informed decision about Hershey products. If you have additional questions about a specific product, contact Customer Service or explore our gluten free labeled Hershey products.

The Hershey Company corporate offices sit in Hershey, Pennsylvania where full-size HERSHEY’S milk chocolate bars, HERSHEY’S KISSES milk chocolates, and other HERSHEY’S products are also manufactured. However, you can view the locations of all of the Hershey Company’s manufacturing plants here!

A standard HERSHEY'S chocolate bar weighs around 1.55 ounces, and measures about the length of your hand. Yet, the biggest HERSHEY'S chocolate bar is 5lbs and can be bought at The Hershey Store! 

Hershey’s has a delicious, unique taste because of the farm fresh milk that is used! HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate is one of the only milk chocolate brands in the world that still uses fresh milk in its production, giving it a distinctive taste.

KIT KAT® Bar flavors in the U.S. include milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white creme, mint + dark chocolate, birthday cake, lemon crisp and chocolate frosted donut; plus a few more seasonal favorites!

The KIT KAT® brand has long been associated with breaktime. The very first tagline was "the biggest little meal in London." In 1957 the "have a break, have a KIT KAT®" tagline was introduced. The "break" concept would continue to evolve, culminating in the incredible success of the "Gimme A Break" jingle in 1988, which continues to this day.

The KIT KAT® candy bar dates back to 1935 when the wafer crisp chocolate bar was launched in England. Originally, it was known as “Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp,” but in 1937 the candy bar was renamed as "KIT KAT® Chocolate Crisp".

KIT KAT® Bars are not vegan. However, KIT KAT® Bars are entirely vegetarian!

No, KIT KAT® Bars are not gluten free as they contain wheat. Always refer to each package for current ingredients and allergen statements to make an informed decision about Hershey products. Explore other gluten free Hershey products.

A KIT KAT® bar is made of three layers of wafer separated and covered by an outer layer of chocolate.  The standard bars consist of four pieces, called fingers, and each finger can be snapped from the bar as an individual piece.

HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates were in production from 1907 to 1942 and then not produced until 1947 due to rationing of aluminum during World War II. During that nearly six-year period, Hershey retooled its HERSHEY’S KISSES production equipment in order to produce chocolate D-Rations for the U.S. Military.

HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates have been in continuous production since 1947 and the KISSES Brand has added many flavors to the iconic product line to become one of the leading chocolate product brands in the world.

It is hard to argue with success! Each year many HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolate lovers “in the field” report that using the paper plume is by far the best – and fastest – way to unwrap a HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolate.

In 2007, to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates brand, The Hershey Company unveiled a giant HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolate weighing 30,540 pounds, the equivalent of more than 3 million standard-sized HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates.

We’re not exactly sure how many HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates are eaten each year, but we make 70 million of them every day! We suspect that a few are saved for tomorrow, but we will keep making 70 million HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates daily to be sure there are enough available for everyone!

Yes. When the new packaging equipment added the “Hershey’s” paper plume to the top of the conical foil wrapper, it proved to be so distinctive in the marketplace that the Hershey Chocolate Company filed for trademark protection for the design. The registered trademark Number 0186828 was received in 1924.

No, the original paper plumes were printed with the “Hershey’s” name so customers were able to distinguish Hershey chocolate quality from that of the company’s competitors. Later in the 1920s, “KISSES” was added to the plume. It wasn’t until 1994 that “KISSES” alone was printed on the paper plume, finally replacing the original Hershey’s brand name. The paper plume is a brand ‘flag’ waving over the top of every HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolate.

That parchment paper strip is called a “plume”. Originally the paper plumes were also referred to as identification tags, possibly because they looked like miniature brand flags.

From 1907 to 1921, HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates were foil-wrapped by hand, including the tissue paper identification tag inside the foil wrapper. Thereafter, HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates were wrapped using a machine that added the printed paper plume and then the aluminum foil wrapping.

Like many success stories there are multiple versions of how HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolate got its name, and no one knows for certain which one is the truth! One story is that the machines that extrude the HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates make a sound like a kiss. Another possibility is that “kiss” was a common confectionery term at the time to refer to a small piece of candy and that Milton Hershey was smart enough to protect his own product’s popularity by registering a trademark for the name “HERSHEY’S KISSES” in 1921.

HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates were first manufactured in 1907 by the Hershey Chocolate Company in Derry, Pennsylvania.

There are 50+ HERSHEY’S KISSES products labeled as gluten free. Always refer to each package for current ingredients and allergen statements to make an informed decision about Hershey products. If you have additional questions, contact Customer Service or explore our gluten free labeled Hershey products.

The ICE BREAKERS brand makes both mints and gum. You can find a full selection of our products here!

ICE BREAKERS gum and mints are all sugar free. ICE BREAKERS sugar free products, especially ICE BREAKERS mints, contain 30 percent fewer calories than sugared mints.

ICE BREAKERS gum, mints and chews are not vegan. These products contain ingredients that are not vegan or vegetarian friendly.

ICE BREAKERS Mints & Gum do not contain gluten ingredients. Always refer to each package for current ingredients and allergen statements to make an informed decision about Hershey products. If you have additional questions, contact Customer Service or explore our gluten free labeled Hershey products.

ICE BREAKERS gum products contain xylitol, a sugar alcohol, which is not safe for pets. If you suspect that your dog has consumed chewing gum, call your veterinarian immediately.

ICE BREAKERS gum products contain gelatin which is derived from pork. ICE BREAKERS mint products do not contain ingredients derived from pork.

JOLLY RANCHER candies are not vegan.

JOLLY RANCHER products do not contain gluten ingredients. Always refer to each package for current ingredients and allergen statements to make an informed decision about Hershey products. If you have additional questions, contact Customer Service or explore our gluten free labeled Hershey products.

All JOLLY RANCHER candy flavors are yummy but watermelon is the most popular JOLLY RANCHER flavor! Among the more popular current JOLLY RANCHER flavors are cherry, blue raspberry, grape, and green apple.

JOLLY RANCHER candies are manufactured by creating a solution of corn syrup, sucrose, glucose, or fructose syrup that is boiled to a temperature of 160 °C/320F and cooled to create a supersaturated mixture that is roughly 2.5 percent water.

No, most TWIZZLERS products contain wheat, and no TWIZZLERS product is labeled gluten free. Always refer to each package for current ingredients and allergen statements to make an informed decision about Hershey products. Explore other gluten free Hershey products.

At the end of the shelf life, there may be some flavor loss or texture changes, but it would not be harmful.

Strawberry is the most popular flavor of TWIZZLERS Twists sold. The strawberry flavor accounts for 70% of the annual production of TWIZZLERS Twists, easily making strawberry the favorite TWIZZLERS Twists flavor.

To keep up with consumer demand, Hershey produces almost 200 tons of TWIZZLERS Twists a day in their Lancaster, PA location!

The longest TWIZZLERS Twists was 1,200 feet! Hershey set the Guinness World Record for longest piece of licorice candy ever made on July 19th, 1998.

TWIZZLERS Twists are a fun option for a low fat snack! Check the back panel of each TWIZZLERS Candy for full nutritional details.

Yes, the original TWIZZLERS Twists are licorice because they include licorice extract. However, the most popular flavors like strawberry or cherry do not include licorice extract, so they are often referred to as licorice type candy.

The main ingredients in TWIZZLERS Twists are corn syrup, wheat flour, sugar, and cornstarch. There are also smaller amounts of palm oil, salt, artificial flavor, glycerin, citric acid, potassium sorbate, Red 40, and soy lecithin in TWIZZLERS Twists.

The original TWIZZLERS Twists flavor introduced in 1845 was licorice. In the mid 1970's, the company began to expand its flavors to include popular options such as strawberry, grape, and cherry. Today strawberry is the favorite TWIZZLERS Twists flavor.

TWIZZLERS Twists are made by pushing a delicious blend of ingredients through special rotating nozzles, giving the candy its iconic twist and a hollow center. Did you know there is an average of 15 twists on each TWIZZLERS Twists?

TWIZZLERS Twists were invented by a company originally called Young and Smylie, which changed its name to Y&S Candies in 1968. Established in 1845, Young and Smylie is one of the oldest confectionery firms in the United States.

TWIZZLERS Twists were first produced in 1929 by Young and Smylie in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The company changed its name in 1968 to Y&S Candies before being acquired by The Hershey Company in 1977.