Hershey To Close Calif. Candy Making Plant, Move Jobs Overseas

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Hershey, the nation's largest candymaker, said it will close a California plant with 575 workers, the fourth such closure announced in less than three months as it seeks to cut operating costs and expand overseas.

Workers were told Monday they will lose their jobs when the plant is shut down by early next year, The Hershey Co. said.

--
Hershey announced a restructuring plan on Feb. 15 that would cut its work force by 1,500 and production lines by one-third.

It is shifting some work to contractors and a plant being built in Mexico, and has formed joint ventures to begin making its products in China and India.

Read more: http://www.nbc4.tv/news/13231307/detail.html

[Tom Joad]

1. that ain't sweet.

[Born Free]

53. The number is more like 3000 employees

They come up with the 1500 employees becasue they are adding 1500 jobs in Mexico

[bdamomma]

2. this just really sucks. nothing is made in the ole USA anymore.

[whistle]

4. Oh, that is where you are wrong comrade, the U.S.A. makes WAR!

:nuke:

[Acadia Blue]

19. And Halliburton, Brown and Root, Brechtel and other get money.

[KansDem]

101. And Halliburton is now located in Dubai, UAE

We all remember the UAE, don't we? It sent two attackers on 9/11. And that's the country Bush wanted to turn over management of several US ports...

[wordpix]

77. and war machinery---the world loves our bombers, bombs, and nukes

:nuke:

[whistle]

3. Overseas to China where they can add brown melamine to every

...Hershy Kiss

[shenmue]

6. Yeah, good point!

It's not enough that the people who run the company are billionaires. Now they have to kick out hundreds of workers so they can be even more rich.

:grr:

That has to be a sickness. Who could have so much already, and not be satisfied?

Greedy corporations care nothing about this country. They are just vampires who will drain us and leave us to stink.

:cry:

[A HERETIC I AM]

98. Actually, the Hershey family is known for its philanthropy. Calling them "Vampires" is unfair

It sucks that they are closing the plant but they aren't the first American company to do this and they won't be the last. Before you lump the Hershey company in with the "Greedy corporations (that) care nothing about this country" maybe you could learn just a little about what that family has done for the town they founded and the people that live there for over one hundred years.

http://www.hersheys.com/discover/milton/foundation.asp

[ProudDad]

113. Great system we got here

The super-rich and the corporations denude the country of most of the decent paying jobs destroying our future in the process then they put into place little tin dictators like that fuckface bush and his cronies who funnel more and more wealth into their pockets and we're supposed to give them props 'cause they spread around a little bit of it to their pet causes and a few crumbs to the "deserving poor".

Excuse me while I voice my opinion on that: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:


On Edit: from the link: "Three years later, the fund began supporting the new Hershey Junior College, which offered tuition-free education to local residents and Hershey employees until its CLOSING in 1965."

Woopdee fuckin' doo.

[A HERETIC I AM]

115. Puke all you want if it makes you feel better.

You found the school that closed. Well done!

How about the foundation and the school that DIDN'T close?
http://www.hersheys.com/discover/milton/hershey_ind_school.asp

<snip> "On November 15, 1909, Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine established a boarding school for orphan boys to be located at the Homestead, Milton Hershey’s birthplace. To fund the school, Hershey also created the Milton Hershey School Trust and endowed it with 486 acres of farmland. The school’s initial enrollment was ten students.

As the school grew, more buildings and programs were added. In 1951, the school’s name was changed to Milton Hershey School, and in 1976 its Deed of Trust was altered to allow the enrollment of girls as well. Today, the school provides a free K-12 education and a home on a 9,000-acre campus to more than 1200 underprivileged boys and girls." <snip> (Bold text mine)

Or how about the Medical Center at Penn State?
http://www.hersheys.com/discover/milton/medical_center.asp


Yes, horrible, nasty despicable people, those Hersheys. Never gave a damn about anything but raping the workers and the consumer.

Pardon me. I don't want to bother you while you puke some more.

[ProudDad]

126. 2 points

1) the amount of money the hershey's (and any other damn family of super-rich) have given to others is a drop in the bucket compared to what they've skimmed off the top for themselves.

2) These super-rich fucks are the MAIN reason we live in a country that runs under a system of cowboy capitalism or "every man for himself and screw the rest" instead of a community of sharing and caring.

WHAT THE FUCK did the SUPER-RICH ever do to DESERVE control over 1/2 of the total wealth of the country while the bottom 80 percent must be content with the last 20 percent????

I'd rather the people control the wealth and decide what to do with it for the good of all rather than a few rich assholes DECIDING for the rest of us.

On Edit:

"Today, the school provides a free K-12 education and a home on a 9,000-acre campus to more than 1200 underprivileged boys and girls."

And how many hundreds of thousands of "underprivileged boys and girls" remain underprivileged in underfunded public schools with parents with no or below living wage jobs thanks to the philosophy of these aristocratic "philanthropists"???

[candice]

29. and the ingredients will be so organic! Great Chinese soils, air, and water...

...but it is our fault for allowing them to be the world's manufacturing and electronic waste dump.

[Heywood J]

87. Voice your displeasure

http://www.thehersheycompany.com/ir/
Mark K. Pogharian
Director, Investor Relations
The Hershey Company
100 Crystal A Drive
P.O. Box 810
Hershey, PA 17033-0810
Phone: [phone]



Public Relations Department
The Hershey Company
PO Box 810
100 Crystal A Drive
Hershey, PA 17033
Phone: [phone]



http://www.hersheys.com/contactus/
(Online form)

[Dulcinea]

89. Thanks for the link.

I voiced my displeasure. I hate the thought of no more white chocolate Reese's cups! I love those!

[Sgent]

5. Overseas

where the sugar they use costs 25% of what it does in the US due to tariffs and quotas.

[BonnieJW]

7. I won't buy their products.

The problem is that we are not informed where our food comes from in many instances. The produce section is probably the only exception. I will not purchase produce from Mexico or South America. I've also noticed that many products just say "Imported" rather than their actual place of origin. I think that Congress should pass laws that make products state exactly where their ingredients come from so we can choose whether to buy the products. Clothes should state China or India rather than just Imported. We should stop buying these products. I know MOST of our products are imported, but if we stop buying the things we absolutely don't HAVE to buy, it would make a difference.

I can easily say now I will not purchase Hershey products.

[katsy]

14. I'm so with you on this.

Nothing Hershey ever in my family.

If I remember correctly, they will also be allowed to use vege oil, trans fat, as a substitute for cocoa butter. Just another reason to stay away from this junk.

on edit to add:

Adopt a cocoa tree

http://www.yachanagourmet.com/farm_market.htm

[Shallah Kali]

56. Congress DID pass Country of Origin labeling but w. vetoed it.

It is time they tried it again!

[wordpix]

85. W* only likes legislation that benefits his super rich crony-contributors

Hey I like the alliteration, "Crony contributors." Dems should use it often.

[Shallah Kali]

104. The Have's and the Have-More's. Some people call you the elites. I call you my base"

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/this-is-an-impressive-crowd-the-have-s-and-have/347014.html

[crossroads]

58. Neither Will I - and Will Spread the Word nt

[wordpix]

81. "I will not purchase produce from Mexico or South America"---that's where most is coming from now!

No kidding, I recently took a winter trip to FL from New England and was looking forward to the fresh FL citrus and other produce. What I found is the typical FL grocery store has EXACTLY the same produce as its northern cousins. Nearly all the tropical fruit was from S. America, Central America and Mexico and it was not fresh, just as it's not fresh in more northern climes. Even at the natural food store, I could not find FL grown produce OR much organic produce.

We take a risk buying produce from other countries that do not have our same environmental laws regarding pesticides and herbicides. Also, there may be child labor allowed in these countries.

[Psephos]

91. Which brands will you buy in place of Hershey's?

[Critters2]

94. Newman's Organic nt

[rusty charly]

109. like the EU:

"Today, there is clearly mounting pressure on food manufacturers to ensure that the food label is a window to transparency and traceability. Only this week we reported that the European Council had cleared tougher food labelling proposals which put an end to the o-called '25 per cent rule' and, if passed, will mean that all ingredients present in a foodstuff will be present on the label.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?id=45524-country-of-origin

According to research carried out by the FSA, better country of origin labelling is high on the list of consumers' priorities for change. Rosemary Hignett, head of food labelling at the FSA said: "Clearer labelling and information on country of origin are important to UK consumers. We are pressing for change to legislation in Europe. But we believe that industry does not have to wait for Europe, and can take its own action now to ensure that the labelling on their products is clearer and unambiguous. The new guidance will help them to do that."

[barb162]

120. I'm with you

[EnviroBat]

8. Congratulations Hershey...

Another on the list of corporations I won't buy a fucking thing from.

Fucking bastard traitors!

[wordpix]

82. agreed---I will BOYCOTT this company. It's chocolate isn't very good, anyway

[izzie]

9. Lets hope that the few rich at the top can do this-------

buy all the things that are made even cheaper by people who can not buy what they make. I wonder where the turning point is, when a corp. thinks they need not make anything as they do not sell enough to make is worth it? Candy we can give up. One may think it will kill you but it will not.

[NYC]

49. There is a turning point.

http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/07/0206/art1.html

New Well-Funded Advocacy Group Called The Alliance For American Manufacturing Is Up And Running In Washington, D.C.

The United States steel industry and its labor union have created a new organization in Washington, D.C., to fight on behalf of all U.S. manufacturing, Manufacturing & Technology News has learned.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing is expected to be officially launched in March, but it has a secure and healthy level of funding, new offices on K Street, an executive director, a board of directors, a staff and a well-defined mission.

The new group is more than a lobbying organization, according to those involved. It will be a think tank on American manufacturing, conducting its own research, contracting with the academic and economics community to do original research on the impact of trade on companies, workers and communities, and highlighting the importance of manufacturing in the economy. The Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) will communicate the results of its research and advocate on behalf of manufacturing by building grass-roots efforts to impact policy and policymakers...

[izzie]

71. I will look that over today. Thanks.

--

[Lone_Star_Dem]

10. Milton Hershey is turning over in his grave.

[hedgehog]

17. After all the years of of Bush and Clinton pandering to corporate greed,

I'd say we have a major untapped energy source given the number of people spinning in their graves! It's time to hook up some turbines to those babies!

[otohara]

11. Why Not Mexico?

Not that I'm for outsourcing any American job, but it would make sense to employ our neighbors first?

[tularetom]

15. Actually they are closing this plant in order

to open one in Monterrey, Mexico.

[Justyce]

12. All these companies that outsource our jobs should

have to pay enough of an import tax to make it not so worth outsourcing....

[LostinVA]

28. Agreed

[acmavm]

13. No more Hershey's products from me. And I'm so damn bad

about chocolate, the loss will show up on their annual reports.

[Acadia Blue]

16. Now they can sell contaminated candy in the USA. Screw them.

No more of their stuff for me. If I am going to import, I'll buy Switzerland or from somewhre not the filthy third world and China.

[hedgehog]

18. Good point - if the product is imported anyways, why not go with a decent product? nt

[Xmark]

23. Pound Plus

Trader Joe's has a delicious milk chocolate bar called "Pound Plus". It's made in Belgium for TJ's, and I think it's about the best tasting chocolate out there.

I've never liked Hershey's, and I'm one of those people convinced that chocolate is one of the 4 food groups!

How sad that they just can't keep the damn jobs here. I can't believe that the company is hurting that badly, if at all.

[Delphinus]

47. Welcome to DU, Xmark.

Thanks for the tip about Trader Joes - we don't have one in my neck of the woods, but when I'm around one over the summer, I'll investigate.

[crossroads]

59. Welcome to DU Xmark! nt

[Pretty_in_CodePink]

72. Newman's Own is delicious! n/t

[EnviroBat]

20. I believe that the assholes who made the decision to do this.

Should be brought before a Senate committee, and asked questions as to why they can justify this. Selling out this country for even greater profits. I'd like to see the numbers, and have them explain to the people of this country how they can justify fucking us over for a little more bottom line. I'VE HAD IT WITH THIS SHIT!

[Sewsojm]

22. Kiss Off Hershey!!

I hope everyone stops buying your products you Fucking Traitors!!

[gauguin57]

21. Dammit ... they're already laying off workers at Hershey, PA, and closing Reading, PA plant

Milton Hershey thought of his workers -- PEOPLE -- first and foremost (the town of Hershey was created for his workers to have a nice place to live; HersheyPark was originally a picnic grove for the workers; the Hershey School was created for orphans and underprivileged children).

Milton is ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_S._Hershey

[Acadia Blue]

25. Boycott them! Buy European. THey have deserted good Americans

who were loyal to them. We bought their chocolate and they are deserting us. I will never buy another product made by these filthy greedy pigs. There are good alternatives.

[Laughing Mirror]

24. Do they make any good chocolate products?

I just tasted a Hershey kiss and it tastes like mollified plastic with sugar and a chocolate-like flavoring. Not agreeable.

[Acadia Blue]

26. If its made by the "bribe the inspector method" in Mexico, you can

bet it might taste good but be as good in cleanliness as it was here. Their chocolate made here is as good as anything else.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

54. Hershey's chocolate smells bad!

and its taste isn't that good either.

[StarryNite]

63. Maybe melamine

will make it smell and taste better. :shrug:

[wordpix]

83. NO!

[Shakespeare]

97. They recently bought Scharffen Berger.

They'll probably fuck that up, too. Pisses me WAY the hell off, too, because S-B is my favorite gourmet chocolate.

[candice]

27. Chinese chocolate! Yum! Hope the label tells country of origin!

[Acadia Blue]

30. They don't have to tell us the country of orgin, but we can find out

many ways on the net. BTW Kraft is going to make cheese in CHINA. ROFLOL you can bet I will be buying Canadian, French, and Italian and that labled Vermont. I read about the filth they are finding in China's food industry.
I love Mexico and lived there, but in all honesty, its is really really dirty, and they have great laws that are not kept. The bribery method is what they use for inspectors, and that is why Hershey wants to go there. Cheap labor and no rules. Dirty pigs.

[DKRC]

31. It's Lindt in this household

Hershey's can peddle their melamine contaminated dreck in China, India, & Mexico from now on.

Lindt

I'm happily addicted to their Intense Orange Dark Chocolate anyway.

:loveya:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

116. Lindt is good I used to like Cadbury's

The cadbury's choc that was made in Ireland was great but over here Hershys makes it.

[DKRC]

117. Yes! Cadbury's Fruit & Nut

along with my shortbread stash & orange Squash kept me going while touring Scotland. If I ran short I'd hop off the train at the next station, hit the newsstand to resupply, then back on the train.
You brought back some great memories!
Won't touch Cadbury's here.

[aquart]

32. Chocolate from China? What's in it?

Is this why BushCo is so keen to corrupt chocolate standards?

[durablend]

45. Liquified crap, no doubt...

And don't think I'm half kidding either--certainly nothing stopping them from adding it and call it "gourmet chocolate"

[LongTomH]

119. Contains those secret gourmet ingredients:

insect parts, rodent droppings, and rat hair. Brought to you courtesy of the Bush admin's cuts to the FDA inspection budget. :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Critters2]

122. You forgot melamine. nt

[brentspeak]

33. Who are the jerks and traitors who've destroyed Milton Hershey's company?

How did they get control over what used to be a great company?

[Vinca]

34. Yummy . . . chocolate with melamine chips.

I am officially boycotting Hershey.

[Odin2005]

35. Treasonous corporatist bastards!

:grr:

[Scout1071]

36. No more Hershey's.

[Cookie wookie]

37. I just ate my last Hershey's chocolate today

(confession). I'm sick of corporate greed that's destroying our country. I hate the greedy bastards.

Kiss off, Hershey and all your greedy corporate cousins.

[CANDO]

38. Boycott Hershey Park also.

I will no longer purchase Hershey foods products.

[Systematic Chaos]

39. Their quality has been going downhill for a while anyway.

They made some white chocolate Kisses with fruit stripes in them for a while. I thought I was eating sweetened candle wax.

And never, EVER buy their "low-carb" crap. That IS candle wax. :puke:

[David K.]

40. Hershey "Kisses" Jobs Goodbye n/t

[earth mom]

41. It's time for a BOYCOTT. Because that's the ONLY thing that will stop this crap!

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[Stephanie]

44. I will boycott. So far I am boycotting Hershey's and Circuit City.

Soon I will be building it myself if I can't buy it at the farmer's market. How long can this go on?

[Purveyor]

46. Perhaps your Circuit City boycott is having some effect. In todays news RE: Circuit City...

Circuit City Announces Dismal Earnings
May 1, 2007

The Richmond, Virginia based company Circuit City announced that dismal earnings are expected for their first quarter profits.

The announcement has sent shares in the company plummeting. The company, which has already had to lay off workers and cut costs, is blaming poor wide screen TV sales for its first quarter lost.

Circuit City is also withdrawing its earning outlook for the first half of the fiscal year. It

[wordpix]

84. why the boycott of Circuit City? I missed that news

[bluetrain]

99. If I recall correctly, Circuit City was laying off workers in stores who were

making a semi-decent wage so they could hire new people or rehire the fired workers for a much, much lower wage.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Critters2]

123. boycottmadeinchina.org

www.boycottmadeinchina.org

[tavalon]

42. Their chocolate might taste better if they relocated to Belgium

But of course that isn't where they're going.

[Carolina]

43. great, now we'll get

poisoned chocolate, too.

Hershey's can kiss-off. Won't buy it and won't eat it.

[judaspriestess]

48. oooooh yum

will it also have delicious dog and cat fur mixed into the chocolate that comes from china along with every other fucking poison they can put into the food supply.

DISGUSTING!!

[candice]

50. Support your farmer's markets, buy locally.

Ask yourself if you really need that thing made in China (non-food, of course, please don't eat the food), and if so, see if you can find it used. Most of the stuff we don't need, and it isn't made well. Let it pile up in WalMarts.

iPods and other Apple products made in China can be purchased refurbished from their Web store.

Add to your savings instead of supporting companies that take jobs from Americans to the lowest bidder and hide their heads in the sand about how labor is treated, the environmental costs, quality, and safety.

I just found out that my vitamin are probably made in China (since most have found it cheaper to go there), although I hope Dr. Weil doesn't get anything from a country that is trying to extinguish Tibet. The lead that Waxman mentioned that has been found in supplements imported from China was one reason I tossed the herbs I was pressured to buy there. I had seen enough environmental degradation to not trust their safety. The toilets at the medical facility where I purchased them was filthy.

See:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660215681,00.html

[Megahurtz]

51. Hell....

maybe it's time for all of us to move overseas. :sarcasm:....or not.

[NYC]

52. Chocolate covered melamine?

I've been writing to companies about the foreign foods they add (Dole's pineapple juice contains juice from Philippines, Thailand, and somewhere else. Tropicana orange juice from Brazil, Tropicana ruby red grapefruit juice from Mexico.) They are sending me coupons. Why? Their belief must be that we'll eat poison if it is cheaper.

I told them I did not know the standards in foreign countries, so was not willing to consume the food.

Re Hershey's, I wrote to them after the layoffs were announced. I told them that if they moved jobs out of Hershey, Pennsylvania, I would no longer eat their products. They didn't even reply. They've had more than ample time to respond.

[depakid]

55. "making its products in China"

Could you hold the melamine please?

Actually, Hershey's chocolate pretty much sucks anyway, so i won't be buying it no matter where it's made.

[williesgirl]

57. Fine, I'm going to close my wallet to Hershey products immediately and move my money to their

competitors. Forever. Amen. recommended

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

60. oh great...

If you go to Mexico and you drink the water you :puke: for days. Now Hershey's going to make LAXATIVES!

[StarryNite]

61. You've got to be kidding me

"It is shifting some work to contractors and a plant being built in Mexico, and has formed joint ventures to begin making its products in China and India."

Screw 'em!

[senseandsensibility]

62. Ghiradelli makes much better chocolate anyway

Try their chocolate drops; they're much smoother and creamier. Plus, they're made in America.

[treestar]

64. How does this cut costs when they will have all the shipping costs

to get the product back to the U.S. to sell? This isn't "customer service" over the phones, which can indeed reach out all over the world. Though even that would cost more from farther away, I suppose.

Is the labor so cheap that it cuts costs even with the extra shipping?

[Canuckistanian]

73. When the oil prices start to REALLY increase

Those "cheap" shipping costs won't look so cheap any more.

All of this overseas outsourcing is going to be devastating in the long run.

Not to mention the loss of quality control, properly inspected ingredients, process control, etc.

And the bad publicity sure ain't helping sales.

[treestar]

92. This is probably the reason behind "tort reform" too

If the only defendants you can sue are in China, you won't have jurisdiction over them, and the plaintiffs will tend to go after the deep pockets - the American companies - with "frivolous lawsuits."

[Critters2]

121. That's waht I always wonder.

How little are they paying their workers if they're still saving money even with the shipping costs?!

[fortyfeetunder]

65. "Kiss" Hershey GOODBYE

I am one of those willing to pay top dollar for chocolate...Guess Hershey and its subsidiaries will never see my money again. Ewwwwww. Yukkkk.

Probably end up with Milkamelamine chocolate now.... :puke:

[fortyfeetunder]

66. Another thought

This could surely bring Hershey down if people continue to associate international outsourcing to contaminated food. Not a long term good biz move.

[lonestarnot]

67. Welp. Guess I won't eat any more of that shit.

and on edit maybe I'll loose some poundage. :applause:

[kurth]

68. New slogan: BETTER CANDY WITH MELAMINE

Sweet death.

[Trajan]

69. Hershey's used to be my favorite ....

Now since it comes from 'overseas', I suppose it would be better to buy from 'overthere', like European chocolates from TJ's, or better yet; locally made chocolates ...

[anitar1]

70. bye,bye, Hersheys. No Chinese hersheys for me.

[april]

74. ditto ! kiss hershey good bye

China ,Mex and India..oh how good and clean these countries are .I am done!

[winston61]

75. I don't buy the crappy chocolate now, and now

I've got another good reason not to. And I will let them know.

[Triana]

76. China, India, Mexico. Wonderful...

...I wonder if we'll now be treated to MELAMINE in our chocolate, too?

[MurrayDelph]

78. and this from a company that used to advertise itself as

"Hershey's, the great American Chocolate Bar"!

[robcon]

79. As ye sow, so shall you reap.

When the price of sugar is 2-3 times the world price, it's not surprising that Hershey will moves its production facilities.

The bribes from Repug-connected sugar farmers, especially in Florida, have provided the ammo for the stupid quota system on sugar.

[JPZenger]

80. Asking Permission to Not Use Any Cocoa Butter

Hershey is one of the companies that has asked the Food and Drug Administration to change the definition of chocolate. They want to make it without using any cocoa butter because it is cheaper. Those products are now called "choco flavored" by other companies. Other people call it mockolate. This is also an issue because the vegetable oils they may use instead may have dangerous trans fats.
---
The amazing thing is that Hershey is not controlled by some vicious greedy shareholders, but instead by a children's home. Mr. Hershey gave almost all of this fortune away 30 years before he died to establish the Milton Hershey School. Their Board of Managers controls the majority of the votes for the Hershey Co. They could stop this movement of jobs from the US to India and Mexico if they wished. Instead, they just want more billions to waste. The President of the School makes over $500,000 a year, plus has a large luxury house provided by the School.

[gulfcoastliberal]

86. This country is going to shit.

I'll add hershey products to my personal "do not buy" list, along with Domino's, Circuit City and the others.

[Heywood J]

88. "Dear Management

I'm not going to even bother buying your newly-imported poisons from China. I and my family deserve better than to eat plastic disguised as food or cancer-causing dyes that you bought as industrial surplus to save a buck. I don't want to risk going blind and crazy - evidently like your management has."

[CANDO]

90. "Hersheys, the All American Chocolate Bar"!

Isn't that one of their advertisement jingles? Boycott the bastards! I will not even visit the town any longer. Most of the high school state championships are held in Hershey. The PIAA needs to be lobbied to perhaps move to another locale. I know this spring they moved the basketball championships to Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State, although that wasn't related to this matter.

[nealmhughes]

93. Anyone else voting on switching to Ghiradellis, Godiva, and other US/Swiss/Italian/Belgians like I

shall?

Let's hear it for Cadbury's too! I think some of the orange Easter balls are still on sale. . .

[nolabels]

95. Hersheys sucks anyway, i like Ghiradellis, way better stuff

http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/

[Xithras]

96. This is big news around here. Lot more damaging than this article suggests.

And it has been for several months, since the "possible" closures were announced (this plant is about 15 minutes from my house). This move is going to devastate the region, and it's not just the 575 workers who are going to pay the price. Hershey's originally located here for a reason...the plant is ringed by thousands of acres of almond orchards and dairies, which supply the factory directly. Most of those farmers and dairymen are now wondering what they're going to do with their crops and milk. The dairies are especially screwed, since there is no available processing plants capable of taking their milk and turning it into anything useful. The almond farmers are still hoping that Hershey's will buy their almonds and ship them to Mexico, but it's already being pointed out around here that there isn't sufficient rail access in the area to move the volume of nuts needed for their operation, and that it will be cheaper to grow them in Mexico once shipping costs are factored in. Hundreds of farmers are about to lose their livelihoods, and all of the farmhands, truck drivers, and suppliers who keep those farms and orchards operating are facing unemployment. I saw one number that pegged this as a $50 million a year hit to the local economy. That will HURT.

It's also a big hit to the towns image and tourism. Oakdale gets a lot of tourists anyway (it's the biggest city on the route from the SF Bay to Yosemite National Park), but the Hersheys Visitors Center sits right at the main downtown intersection on the highway and is a big draw. The town is also host to an annual Chocolate Festival, one of the yummiest food festivals on the West Coast (it's in three weeks if anyone's interested), and the future of that festival is already in question with Hershey's leaving town. Heck, this town even has streetlights near the factory that are shaped like giant Hershey's kisses. Hershey's is part of the towns identity, and it's an enormous blow to lose the factory.

[jazzjunkysue]

100. "Hersheys is the great Chinese chocolate bar."

Now with extra Melanine!

[tiptoe]

102. No more "Hershey's" for me. PERIOD! (Of course, melamine Hershey for Chinese is the new market)

[durablend]

103. Just in case you wanted a face (photo) to go with your angst

Here ya go:

[Shallah Kali]

105. Don't Forget the Chocolate Cos Want to Adulterate Chocolate - please oppose that law change

Follow the directions here on how to email the FDA - and actually make them listen - on this:
http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/howtohelp.asp

[Cass]

106. Thank you for posting this article, Purveyor.

I contacted them at their website to let them know how disappointed I am about this and that they lost my business because of it.

:(

[durablend]

107. They'll probably send you a 10% off coupon

To thank you for your overwhelming support

[Cass]

111. Sadly, you're probably right.

I'm not even sure someone will actually read my letter.

[Ilsa]

108. The Board of Directors should be required to spend 90% of their

time in that country overseas.

Screw them all.

[Nikia]

110. I feel bad for the workers but I don't think that there is a food safety issue

Probably none of the chocolate sold in the U.S. will be from China. That plant will make it for Asian countries.
The plant in Mexico might ship chocolate across the border. I am not concerned because it will be a Hershey's plant (as opposed to a copacker). Many Mexicans work in our food plants anyway. The plant iteself will not be inspected by the FDA, but Hershey's corporate quality department will make sure that they are complying with Hershey's protocol. It's close proximity to the United States will make this more frequent.

[Isere]

112. No way!

Eat locally! NO chocolate from Mexico or China!

[ProudDad]

114. Gee, doesn't this mean the price

of Hershey's chocolate will come down?

Yeah, right.... :sarcasm:

[puffthemagicdragon]

118. refuse high fructose corn syrup products

hard to find ANY hershey product without high fructose corn syrup in it, terrible they are closing a plant and putting people out of work. Now time to put them out of work...refuse to eat anything with high fructose corn syrup in it.

[cosmicdot]

124. What is PGPR?

Is it vital to making chocolate bars? Check a Belgian chocolate bar for comparison.


Thanks to NYC for sharing Hershey's response to questions regarding ingredients in Cadbury milk chocolate bar (now manufactured under license by Hershey's):


Thank you for contacting The Hershey Company. Your comments about our
chocolate product are important.

Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate (PGPR) — An emulsifier to insure
consistency. It is a fatty acid. It is derived from castor bean oil that is
used to improve processing characteristics in chocolate. PGPR has been
used in various food applications since the 1950s. The origin of PGPR is
castor oil. It does not contain any allergens.

I do not have the information regarding what artificial flavors we use
in our products. This information is proprietary and is not available.

Additives in foods are used to improve flavor, appearance, consistency,
color, and the nutrition value of foods. Some additives are used to
control spoilage and acidity. Without food additives, many of the foods
taken for granted today would be greatly changed or would disappear
from the marketplace entirely.

Food additives can occur naturally or can be made in laboratories.
Some food additives are made in the laboratory because they occur
naturally only in small or unstable amounts. Our company only uses food
additives that are safe.


Your interest in our company is appreciated.

This email address is restricted for outgoing messages only. For that
reason, please do not respond to this email as the inbox is not
monitored.


Consumer Representative

[VegasWolf]

125. The jingle, "Hershey's makes the very best chocolate!" nt

[ProudDad]

127. To reiterate a great idea

boycott ANYTHING that has "high fructose corn syrup" in the list of ingredients.

2 reasons: It's VERY bad for you and it enriches two very evil corporations: Archer Daniels Midland and Cargil