What is the history of the Hershey milk chocolate bar?
The Hershey milk chocolate bar was introduced to the United States of America in 1900 and has been melting in people’ s mouths ever since. The founder of this tasty invention is American entrepreneur Milton S. Hershey. He is also the founder of all Hershey products that reign today from Twizzlers to Kit Kats. In 1903 Milton S. Hershey found a factory in Derry Township, PA to produce chocolate products more effectively. After production was made and Hershey established the factory on February 8, 1906 he trade marketed his sweet brand.
Where is the Hershey milk chocolate bar made or manufactured?
Hershey milk chocolate bars are made in Hershey factories located in Sao Roque, Brazil; Stuarts Draft, Virginia; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Hazelton, Pennsylvania; Memphis Tennessee; Robinson, Illinois and Guadalajara, Mexico. Workers in these factories receive payments lower than minimum wage in American, they make a mere $8.33 per hour. The Hershey milk chocolate bar is created using cacao beans, high temperatures, unsweetened chocolate, milk, sugar and molds.
What impact does the Hershey milk chocolate bar have on your life?
The Hershey milk chocolate bar presents itself globally to 60 countries. However, in my life this chocolate treat establishes itself as a desert or an item to calm ones sweet tooth. Hershey milk chocolate bars also are a treat for American holidays including Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day.
Who are the people directly involved in making or manufacturing the Hershey milk chocolate bar? What is life like for them?
There are many people involved in making and manufacturing the Hershey milk chocolate bar. However, many workers in the factories are foreigners working on United States soil. Yana Bzengey a 19 year old from Ukraine talks about her time as a Hershey factory worker in Middleton, Pennsylvania. She traveled to America as a cultural exchange worker in hopes of understanding the people of Pennsylvania culture. Instead, when working she learned how people were wrongfully treated in factory jobs. In her time at the factory she lifted boxes weighing extremely more than her body weight for hours, while only earning $8.33 per hour. Due to this unfair physical treatment her and her coworkers protested against the company outside the factory to change the factories working conditions. Yana and her coworkers were successful with the protest and were given equipment to move materials by machine rather than manually. Increasing migration caused this factory to thrive because many foreigners were looking for jobs in America to support their view on the American dream. Instead these individuals were working low wage jobs with conditions not suitable for the human body.
Next time you pick up a Hershey milk chocolate bar think about where it came from and if it is really worth eating. After, this research I certainly think twice about picking up this delicious chocolate treat.
Links for Research:
Foreign students who work at Hershey warehouse say 'we have our rights'
https://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/08/foreign_students_who_work_at_w.html
The Process of Perfection
https://www.hersheys.com/en_us/our-story/our-process.html
Who Was Milton S. Hershey?
https://hersheystory.org/milton-hershey-history/