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The US and international formulas are not the same— here's exactly what changed and why.
Hershey USA
| Ingredient | 🇺🇸 US Version | 🌍 International | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tbhq | ✅ Not present | ✅ Not present | Banned Overseas |
The same company makes both versions — but they use different formulas depending on where the product is sold. In the EU, UK, and Canada, regulations require either banning certain additives outright or mandating warning labels (e.g., "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" for certain synthetic dyes).
Rather than print warning labels, most manufacturers reformulate the product for international markets — using natural colorants like paprika extract, beetroot concentrate, or spirulina instead of petroleum-derived synthetic dyes.
The US FDA has a different standard: it deems additives "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) based on older safety data, while EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) applies stricter precautionary principles and requires manufacturers to prove safety rather than assume it.
US milk chocolate standards require only 10% cocoa content — one-third the EU minimum of 30% — which is why Hershey's famously has a different, more 'tangy' taste that many Europeans find unappealing. US Hershey's bars also contain PGPR, a cheaper emulsifier replacing cocoa butter that is absent from UK Cadbury chocolate. The regulatory gap between US and EU cocoa standards means American consumers are buying a fundamentally different product under the 'milk chocolate' label.
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