A viral video has sparked outrage among chocolate lovers after appearing to show a Hershey's bar behaving more like slime than a sweet treat, with viewers questioning whether the iconic confection has fundamentally changed.
In the clip, which has rapidly circulated across social media, an American consumer pulls apart a piece of chocolate that stretches unnaturally, prompting disbelief.
“Guys, I don’t think chocolate’s supposed to look like this. Why is it so elastic? It’s like slime, this is fake,” she says, as the bar bends and stretches rather than snapping cleanly as expected.
The unusual texture has been linked by critics to recent formula adjustments made by The Hershey Company, which reportedly include replacing traditional cocoa butter with cheaper vegetable oils such as palm, shea, and sunflower.
The company has acknowledged making recipe changes across several products, including popular items like Reese's and Take 5, citing soaring cocoa prices driven by climate-related supply disruptions as a key factor behind the shift.
However, the changes have not gone unnoticed by consumers.
Many have taken to social media to complain about differences in both texture and flavor, with some claiming the products no longer meet the standard of “real chocolate.” Food experts note that cocoa butter is a defining ingredient in traditional chocolate, and substituting it with vegetable oils can significantly alter how the product melts, snaps, and feels.
The backlash has even drawn criticism from within the confectionery world. The grandson of the inventor behind Reese’s has reportedly spoken out, arguing that the alterations degrade the quality of the beloved treat and stray from its original formula.
Consumer reports have echoed these concerns, pointing to noticeable differences in consistency and taste in products affected by the changes.
While manufacturers face increasing pressure from rising ingredient costs, the viral video has reignited debate over whether cost-cutting measures are coming at the expense of quality.
For many longtime fans, the sight of a once-familiar chocolate bar stretching like elastic has raised an unsettling question: is this still chocolate as they know it?
