Report cards › Food › Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
HERSHEY'S
CSWH grade B (79)
Method v1.0 (how we grade), based on the records below; exact score 79.
| Indicator | Grade | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls (40%) | A (100) | No recalls found Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 29, 2026. For current recalls see FDA and USDA. |
| Ingredients (40%) | C (63) | Tier A: 0 of 6 products · A (100) (25%) Tier B: 6 of 6 products (Bleached flour, Partially hydrogenated oil (PHO), FD&C Red No. 40, Sodium aluminum sulfate) · F (0) (15%) · products |
| FDA warning letters (20%) | B (70) | 1 letter to the owner Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 29, 2026. |
Shown, not graded: recall reasons (none) · IARC notes (0 products) · FDA dye pledge: In progress.
Recalls, Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 29, 2026
No FDA recall matched to this brand.
Store-brand and co-packer recalls count on a brand only when a UPC in the recall matches one of its products.
Ingredients on our watch list
Bleached flour Tier B in 4 of 6 products
- Texas SB 25, 89th Legislature (2025), Health and Safety Code § 431.0815 (warning label), § 431.0815(a)(6): warning label required by state law (TX), effective Jan 1, 2027. Under court challenge: American Beverage Association v. Paxton.
Partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) Tier B in 2 of 6 products
- Texas SB 25, 89th Legislature (2025), Health and Safety Code § 431.0815 (warning label), § 431.0815(a)(26): warning label required by state law (TX), effective Jan 1, 2027. Under court challenge: American Beverage Association v. Paxton.
FD&C Red No. 40 Tier B in 1 of 6 products
- HHS/FDA phase-out of petroleum-based food dyes (announced 2025-04-22; voluntary industry pledges, no rule): FDA phase-out target, effective Dec 31, 2027.
- Texas SB 25, 89th Legislature (2025), Health and Safety Code § 431.0815 (warning label), § 431.0815(a)(34): warning label required by state law (TX), effective Jan 1, 2027. Under court challenge: American Beverage Association v. Paxton.
- West Virginia HB 2354 (2025), W. Va. Code § 16-7-2(b)(7): banned in food by state law (WV), effective Jan 1, 2028. Under court challenge (enforcement blocked for now): International Association of Color Manufacturers v. Singh.
Sodium aluminum sulfate Tier B in 1 of 6 products
- Texas SB 25, 89th Legislature (2025), Health and Safety Code § 431.0815 (warning label), § 431.0815(a)(35): warning label required by state law (TX), effective Jan 1, 2027. Under court challenge: American Beverage Association v. Paxton.
Products (6)
- CAKE, CHOCOLATE · UPC 78742025605 · FoodData Central record of Jul 29, 2021
B Partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) ("partially hydrogenated vegetable oil") · Report an error - CHOCOLATE CREME CAKE, CHOCOLATE · UPC 78742358604 · FoodData Central record of Oct 28, 2021
B FD&C Red No. 40 ("red 40") · Report an error - HERSHEY'S, CHOCOLATE CAKE · UPC 78742112619 · FoodData Central record of Oct 28, 2021
B Bleached flour ("bleached wheat flour") · Report an error - HERSHEY'S, MINI CAKE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE · UPC 78742165196 · FoodData Central record of Jul 29, 2021
B Bleached flour ("bleached wheat flour") · Report an error - HERSHEY'S, QUARTER SHEET CAKE, CHOCOLATE · UPC 78742109244 · FoodData Central record of Oct 28, 2021
B Bleached flour ("bleached wheat flour") · Report an error - TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES, TRIPLE CHOCOLATE · UPC 78742080710 · FoodData Central record of Aug 31, 2023
B Bleached flour ("bleached wheat flour"); B Partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) ("partially hydrogenated vegetable oil"); B Sodium aluminum sulfate ("sodium aluminum sulfate") · Report an error
Labels change: each row shows the date of its FoodData Central record. A brand that has changed a recipe can report it with "Report an error".
FDA warning letters to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Oct 29, 2021 to Oct 29, 2026
- Walmart, Inc., Dec 12, 2025: Infant Botulism Outbreak · Human Foods Program · Report an error
FDA notes that later events may have changed the regulatory status of what a letter discusses.
FDA dye pledge: In progress
Walmart, Inc. covers all its products: All Walmart private brand foods in the U.S. are included, such as: Great Value, Marketside, Freshness
- Walmart U.S. is removing certified color additives and more than 30 other ingredients — like certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes — from its private brand foods, to be completed by January 2027.
Source: FDA's tracker of food industry dye pledges
Shown, not graded: a completed pledge already shows up as fewer dyes in the ingredients.