Some Cons
- Enslaved children made the chocolate when the company was first starting.
- Milton went Bankrupt twice and relied on a close friend and his aunt for enough money to buy the supplies.
- Hershey sources their cocoa in West Africa, and that area is claimed to be “a scene of child labor, trafficking, and forced labor.
- November of 2006, Hershey products were recalled because there were concerns about salmonella.
- July of 1998, 100 gram chocolate bars were recalled because of possible traces of almonds that were not listed in the ingredients. They were being sold for a fundraising event.
- The Global Exchange report states that: “Hershey has no policies in place to purchase cocoa that has been produced without the use of labor exploitation, and the company has consistently refused to provide public information about its cocoa sources. Additionally, Hershey has made no move to shift to third-party certification for the cocoa that it sources from West Africa. No information is available from Hershey about how the money it has invested in various programs in West Africa has actually impacted reductions in forced, trafficked, and child labor among the suppliers of its cocoa. Finally, Hershey's efforts to further cut costs in its cocoa production has led to a reduction in good jobs in the United States.”
- The cultural exchange visa program students were used for labor. One said that he or she had some of the worst moments of his or her life.