Hershey's
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Hershey's, current as of September 2026. Screening averages and flag shares live in the short-answer band below. This hero only situates the catalog slice.
The short answer
Hershey's averages 92.0/100 across the 240 of 621 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 18.8% of those contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. The figure summarizes Open Food Facts labels cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI; it does not establish recall status, allergy suitability, or the composition of products outside this snapshot.
- 92.0/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 240 scored products
- 621
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 18.8%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 97.4%
- of NOVA-classified products that are ultra-processed (Group 4)
Source snapshot current as of September 2026; open individual products before making a product-specific decision.
Portfolio reading
Use the distribution, then open the outliers
With 621 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Hersheys kisses birthday cake; jolly rancher gummy sours; Peanut butter candy in a crunchy shell; 18.8% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 92.0/100. Open those outliers first, then compare neighboring formulations. The aggregate does not establish recall status, allergen suitability, or the composition of an item outside this snapshot.
Catalog evidence
Ingredient-list coverage comes before the score
Only 240 of 621 tracked Hershey's records (38.6%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 381 cannot be screened, so the 92.0/100 mean describes the labelled subset rather than the whole brand.
Next check: use the product rows below to verify the labelled subset, then compare the current package for any unscored item.
What the Data Says About Hershey's
Hershey's: 621 products tracked, 240 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 92.0/100, 18.8% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 38.6% of tracked records, this average is a description of the labelled subset, not a brand-wide tier. The coverage gap is the dominant limitation. Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Hershey's's 18.8% flagged share is 0.8 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Hershey's processing intensity
Hershey's's NOVA-classified set is 229 products: 97.4% ultra-processed (Group 4, 223 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 223. That ultra-processed share sits 19.1 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Hershey's shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Hershey's concentrates in Snacks (176, 88% of this top-five); Desserts (8); Beverages (5); Cocoa and its products (5); Plant-based foods and beverages (5).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snacks | 131 | 94.2/100 | 15.3% |
| Desserts | 6 | 79.2/100 | 50% |
| Cocoa and its products | 5 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 5 | 91/100 | 60% |
| Baking-decorations | 3 | 53.3/100 | 66.7% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Hershey's's 18.8% flagged share is measured across 240 scored products. The chart places that rate against the 50 brands with 50+ scored products in this snapshot, the same qualifying cohort used on the rankings page.
Hershey's flagged share vs large-brand cohort
18.8% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
19% 0th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 0% of the 50 qualifying brands we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more qualifying brands. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0%–10%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 10%–20%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 20%–30%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 30%–40%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 40%–50%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 50%–60%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 60%–70%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 70%–80%
- 3 qualifying brands (6%)
- 80%–90%
- 25 qualifying brands (50%)
- 90% and above
- 22 qualifying brands (44%)
Source Open Food Facts × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Portfolio shape
How scores cluster inside this brand
The brand average (92.0/100) summarizes 240 scored products. This distribution shows whether that mean sits on a tight cluster or a wide spread, a few low-scoring SKUs can matter even when the headline average looks strong.
Hershey's product score distribution
Brand average 92.0/100 across 240 scored products
92 17th percentile sits above 17% of the 240 scored products we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0–10
- 4 scored products (2%)
- 10–20
- 1 scored products (0%)
- 20–30
- 5 scored products (2%)
- 30–40
- 2 scored products (1%)
- 40–50
- 2 scored products (1%)
- 50–60
- 9 scored products (4%)
- 60–70
- 1 scored products (0%)
- 70–80
- 6 scored products (3%)
- 80–90
- 6 scored products (3%)
- 90–100
- 9 scored products (4%)
- 100 and above
- 195 scored products (81%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Hershey's relies most on Red 40, an industry staple
Across the 240 Hershey's products scored here, Red 40 appears in 21. It is used by 2,397 other brands in this database (6.8% of them), so its presence says more about the category than about this brand. A flag records that a named source raised a concern about an ingredient. It is not a finding that a product is unsafe to eat.
| Flagged ingredient | Hershey's products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Red 40 | 21 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Blue 1 | 14 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 5 | 14 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Caramel Coloring | 11 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Yellow 6 | 11 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Carrageenan | 8 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| TBHQ | 6 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Blue 2 | 4 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
Counts are products in this database whose ingredient list names the flagged ingredient. Flags come from FDA enforcement actions, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings and US state ingredient laws; see the methodology for how each source is applied.
Visible product sample
Label complexity does not determine the screening result
Each point is one of the 50 concern-sorted Hershey's records shown below. Horizontal position is the number of resolved ingredients on that product's stored label; vertical position is its source-derived screening score. The dashed medians (21 ingredients and 70/100) divide this displayed sample only. A longer label is not automatically worse: open a specific product to inspect its flagged rows and source coverage.
- Shown records
- 50
- Median label
- 21 ingredients
- Median score
- 70/100
The outlined point is Hersheys kisses birthday cake, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (6). Bubble size represents flagged ingredient count plus one, so zero-flagged products remain visible. The score is derived from FDA SAFFA and CSPI fields; this chart does not establish recall status, dietary suitability, or a health outcome.
Read the plotted values
- Hersheys kisses birthday cake: 24 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 6 flagged.
- jolly rancher gummy sours: 12 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Peanut butter candy in a crunchy shell: 21 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Milk Chocolate & Reese's Pieces Bar: 29 resolved ingredients, 0/100, 4 flagged.
- Hershey’s Kisses Cinnamon Toast Crunch: 27 resolved ingredients, 10/100, 4 flagged.
- Dark Chocolate Instant Pudding And Pie Filling, Dark Chocolate: 14 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Hershey's Fat Free Caramel Sundae Syrup: 17 resolved ingredients, 20/100, 4 flagged.
- Caramel topping: 16 resolved ingredients, 40/100, 4 flagged.
- candy coated milk chocolate: 19 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- hersheys kisses strawberry ice cream cone: 29 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Kisses Strawberry Ice Cream Cone: 27 resolved ingredients, 25/100, 3 flagged.
- Cinnamon baking chips: 15 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Harry Potter Butterbeer Kisses: 21 resolved ingredients, 35/100, 3 flagged.
- Caramel Syrup: 15 resolved ingredients, 45/100, 3 flagged.
- Hershey's Syrup Lite Genuine Chocolate Flavor: 16 resolved ingredients, 55/100, 3 flagged.
- Lil Blue Panda: 37 resolved ingredients, 65/100, 3 flagged.
- Hershey'S, Candy Coated Milk Chocolate: 17 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- kisses candy cane: 23 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Candy Cane Kisses: 22 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Kisses mint truffles: 22 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- polka dot cookies 'n' creme: 22 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Hershey’s Reese’s pieces candy: 28 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Red white and blue cookies and cream: 35 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Hershey's colliders: 21 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Chocolate Creme Cake, Chocolate: 51 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Zero Sugar Chocolate Syrup: 16 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Whey Protein: 10 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Peanut Butter Cup: 18 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Hershey'S, Pot Of Gold Caramel Collection Assorted Milk & Dark Chocolate: 31 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- Milk Chocolate Almond And Caramel With Sea Salt: 30 resolved ingredients, 90/100, 2 flagged.
- chocolate dipped strawberry kisses: 22 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Hersheys Strawberry syrup: 10 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Hershey's Syrup Delicious Strawberry Flavor: 9 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 1 flagged.
- Big cup peanut butter cup: 15 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Miniatures peanut butter cups: 24 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Milk chocolate, peanut butter cup miniatures: 15 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Chocolate peanut butter candy: 17 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Reese's Spreads Peanut Butter Chocolate: 20 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Hershey’s chocolate cream pie: 38 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Payday, 1.85 oz: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Pot of Gold: 27 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Hershey'S, Cookies'N'Cream: 33 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Hershey's Chocolate Milk: 10 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Hershey'S, Candy Bar, Cookies 'N' Creme, Cookies 'N' Creme: 34 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Hershey'S, Candy Bar, Cookies'N'Creme, Cookies'N'Creme: 34 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Hershey’s Syrup: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Betty Crocker Hershey: 21 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Premium Ice Cream, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle: 24 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Hershey's Simple 5 Syrup: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Ice Pops, Wacky Watermelon: 5 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Hershey's
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 571 tracked records with unusable upstream names remain in the aggregate but are not shown.
Nationwide brands with similar catalog profiles
Two PlainFoodSafe-derived peer sets for Hershey's: closest on tracked product count (621 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (92/100 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-catalog strip.
Similar product count
Nearest other brands by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Similar average screening score
Nearest other brands by average ingredient screening score (floored at ≥50 scored products), distinct from the count row.
Counts and averages from Open Food Facts labels screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine; neither axis is a health outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hershey's food safe? ▼
Hershey's has an average safety score of 92/100 across the 240 of 621 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 18.8% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Hershey's products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 621 Hershey's products. 240 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 381 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Hershey's catalog? ▼
Hershey's has 229 NOVA-classified products; 97.4% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 223 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Hershey's catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Hershey's concentrates in Snacks (176, 88% of this top-five); Desserts (8); Beverages (5); Cocoa and its products (5); Plant-based foods and beverages (5).
Does Hershey's use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Hershey's items list a synthetic dye on their label. For whether the company has committed to removing dyes, the FDA and CSPI both publish corporate-commitment trackers; we no longer restate those commitments here.
What to do with this Hershey's profile
Use this roll-up as orientation, then verify the specific package you hold against its ingredient panel and the named official sources.
- Start with Hersheys kisses birthday cake, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (6) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Red 40 appears in 21 scored Hershey's products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Hershey's's 92.0/100 average and 18.8% flagged share against other brands before treating either figure as a recall or clearance signal. Brand safety rankings
- Cross-check any additive concern against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine rather than relying on this derived index alone. Scoring methodology
A flagged ingredient records a source concern, not a recall, ban, or medical clearance. Always verify the current package label and consult official sources for product-specific decisions.
Citation & disclaimer notes
Brand scores aggregate ingredient-level FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings across Open Food Facts product data. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe.Disclaimer: Informational purposes only; not professional advice. A flagged ingredient is not a recall or a ban. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Brand figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026.
