Milk Duds candies were created by Hoffman and Company of Chicago in 1928.
The confection began as an attempt to make a perfectly spherical, chocolate-covered caramel. Hoffman and Company could not consistently produce round pieces, so the irregular candies were called “duds.” The word “milk” referred to milk in the original formulation, according to Hershey’s account of the brand’s naming.
In that same year, Holloway took over Hoffman and Company and continued Milk Duds production. The candy became especially recognizable in its golden-yellow, theater-style box, with chocolate-coated caramel disks that are intentionally irregular rather than ball-shaped.
Later ownership changed several times. Beatrice Foods acquired Hoffman and Company in 1960, Leaf bought the Milk Duds business in 1986, and Hershey acquired Leaf’s North American confectionery operation in 1996. Hershey now produces and markets the candy under license, while ownership of the brand’s intellectual property is held by Highlander Partners-related interests.