UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

[   ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5
    obligations may continue.
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person(s)
   Le Maire            Patrice
   Corporate Headquarters
   100 Crystal A Drive
   Hershey,       PA     17033
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Hershey Foods Corporation (HSY)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   ###-##-####
4. Statement for Month/Year
   January 1998
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) [ ]
   Director [ ] 10% Owner [X] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify
   below) President, Hershey Intern'l

7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) [X] Form filed by
   One Reporting Person [ ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Security 2)Trans- 3.Trans- 4.Securities Acquired(A) 5)Amount of 6) 7)Nature of action action or Disposed of (D) Securities Indirect Date Code A Beneficially D Beneficial (Month/ or Owned at or Ownership Day/Year) Code V Amount D Price End of Month I - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1 through 6) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 2)Conversion 3)Trans- 4)Trans- 5)Number of Derivative 6)Date Exercisable and Security or Exercise action action Securities Acquired (A) Expiration Date Price of Date Code or Disposed of (D) Derivative Security Code V A D Exercisable Expiration - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Qualified Stock Option $61.5000 01/19/98 A 4,800.0000 01/19/08 (right to buy)(1) Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1)Title of Derivative 3)Trans- 7)Title and Amount 8)Price 9)Number of 10) 11)Nature of Security action of Underlying of Deri- Derivative Indirect Date Securities vative Securities D Beneficial Amount or Security Beneficially or Ownership Number of Owned at I - Title Shares End of Month - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Qualified Stock Option 01/19/98 Common Stock 4,800.0000 $61.5000 4,800.0000 D (right to buy)(1) Explanation of Responses: (1) These options were granted under the Hershey Foods Corporation 1987 Key Employee Incentive Plan, and they have a stock withholding feature which permits the withholding of shares of stock at the time of exercise to satisfy the grantee's income tax withholding rights.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /S/ Le Maire Patrice DATE 02/07/98