Activists sour Hershey’s Facebook campaign

But the Hershey Company was left with a bitter taste in its mouth when social activists elbowed in on a s’mores-themed photo contest, asking the Pennsylvania firm not to use cocoa allegedly harvested with child and slave labor.

Hershey recently launched a photo contest on asking fans to upload photos, no doubt hoping to fill its Facebook pages with images of sticky-fingered kids around the campfire eating the chocolate, marshmallow and graham-cracker treats.

But Change.org, which has successfully pressured other corporations, marshaled activists to fill Hershey’s Facebook pages with pleas to use chocolate from sources certified to use fair labor practices. Many hold signs stating their message.

“Dear #Hershey,” writes one respondent, “please change your recipe. I like my chocolate Slave-Free.”