March 7, 1997



Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Judiciary Plaza
Washington, D.C.  20549

Dear Sirs:

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 
Hershey Foods Corporation is filing the enclosed Form 8-K.

     Should you have any questions, please give me a call at (717)534-7911.

                                   Sincerely

                                   HERSHEY FOODS CORPORATION



                                   /s/ Mark E. Kimmel
                                   Senior Counsel

 
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  ----------

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT

                    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 
                        Securities Exchange Act of 1934

     Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): MARCH 6, 1997
                                                       ------------------

                           HERSHEY FOODS CORPORATION
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

    Delaware                        I-183                         23-0691590
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission                 (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)              File Number)            Identification No.)


    100 Crystal A Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania                    17033
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of principal executive offices)                            (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:    (717) 534-6799
                                                    ----------------------------


                              Page 1 of 7 Pages
                            Exhibit Index - Page 3

 
                     INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN REPORT


Item 5. Other Events
        ------------

     The Corporation entered into an Underwriting Agreement dated September 27, 
1995 with Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, 
Fenner and Smith Incorporated with respect to the issuance by the Corporation of
certain debt securities. The Corporation has entered into a Pricing Agreement 
dated March 6, 1997 concerning the issuance and sale of $150 million 
aggregate principal amount of 6.95% Notes due March 1, 2007 ("Notes"). 
Information concerning the Notes and related matters is set forth in the 
Corporation's Prospectus dated March 6, 1997, and in a Prospectus Supplement
dated March 6, 1997, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission on March 7, 1997.

Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits
        ---------------------------------

     Exhibits filed herewith:

      1--Underwriting Agreement, dated September 27, 1995, by and among the
         Corporation, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. and Merrill
         Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.*
     28--Pricing Agreement, dated March 6, 1997, by and among the Corporation,
         Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce,
         Fenner & Smith Incorporated.

* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Corporation's Form 8-K on October 2, 
1995.

                                   SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the 
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the 
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: March 7, 1997



                                       HERSHEY FOODS CORPORATION


                                       By /s/ Mark E. Kimmel
                                          ---------------------------
                                           Mark E. Kimmel
                                           Assistant Secretary


                                      2 


 
                                 Exhibit Index
                                 -------------

Exhibit No.                      Description                        Page No.
- -----------                      -----------                        --------

 1                            Underwriting Agreement, dated    
                              September 27, 1995, by and
                              among the Corporation, Goldman 
                              Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co.
                              and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner 
                              & Smith Incorporated.*

28                            Pricing Agreement, dated March 6,         4 
                              1997, by and among the Corporation, 
                              Goldman Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch
                              & Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce,
                              Fenner & Smith Incorporated.


* Previously filed as an exhibit to the Corporation's Form 8-K on October 2, 
1995.

                                       3

 
                               PRICING AGREEMENT
                               ----------------- 
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
Merrill Lynch & Co.
    Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated,
 As Representatives of the several
  Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004
 
                                                                   March 6, 1997
 
Dear Sirs:
 
  Hershey Foods Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes,
subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Underwriting
Agreement, dated September 27, 1995 (the "Underwriting Agreement"), between
the Company on the one hand and Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch & Co.,
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated on the other hand, to issue
and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters")
the Securities specified in Schedule II hereto (the "Designated Securities").
Each of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement
to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein;
and each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be
deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Pricing Agreement. Each
reference to the Representatives herein and in the provisions of the
Underwriting Agreement so incorporated by reference shall be deemed to refer to
you. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Underwriting
Agreement are used herein as therein defined. The Representatives designated to
act on behalf of the Representatives and on behalf of each of the Underwriters
of the Designated Securities pursuant to Section 12 of the Underwriting
Agreement and the address of the Representatives referred to in such Section 12
are set forth at the end of Schedule II hereto.
 
  An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the
Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Designated Securities, in the
form heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with the
Commission.
 
  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Underwriting
Agreement incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and
sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the time and place
and at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in Schedule II hereto,
the principal amount of Designated Securities set forth opposite the name of
such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.

 
  If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us five counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you, on
behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof,
including the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by
reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the
Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this
letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is or will be pursuant to the
authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of
which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but
without warranty on the part of the Representatives as to the authority of the
signers thereof.
 
                                          Very truly yours,
 
                                          Hershey Foods Corporation
 
                                                   /s/ W. F. Christ
                                          By:..................................
                                            Name: W. F. Christ
                                            Title: Senior Vice President and
                                                   Chief Financial Officer
 
Accepted as of the date hereof:
 
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Merrill Lynch & Co.,
    Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
 
       /s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co.
By:..................................
       (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
 
                                       2

 
                                   SCHEDULE I
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF DESIGNATED SECURITIES TO BE UNDERWRITER PURCHASED ----------- ------------ Goldman, Sachs & Co. ..................................... $ 75,000,000 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated........ 75,000,000 ------------ Total.................................................. $150,000,000 ============
3 SCHEDULE II TITLE OF DESIGNATED SECURITIES: 6.95% Notes due March 1, 2007 AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT $150,000,000 PRICE TO PUBLIC: 99.698% of the principal amount of the Designated Securities, plus accrued interest from March 1, 1997 PURCHASE PRICE BY UNDERWRITERS: 99.048% of the principal amount of the Designated Securities, plus accrued interest from March 1, 1997 SPECIFIED FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE: Federal (same day) funds INDENTURE: Indenture dated as of February 1, 1991, between the Company and Citibank, N.A., as Trustee MATURITY: March 1, 2007 INTEREST RATE: 6.95% INTEREST PAYMENT DATES: March 1 and September 1, beginning September 1, 1997 REDEMPTION PROVISIONS: No provisions for redemption SINKING FUND PROVISIONS: No sinking fund provisions TIME OF DELIVERY: March 11, 1997, 9:30 a.m. New York City Time CLOSING LOCATION: The offices of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, One Chase Manhattan Plaza, New York, New York 10005 NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF REPRESENTATIVES: DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES: Goldman, Sachs & Co. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ADDRESS FOR NOTICES, ETC.: c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co. 85 Broad Street New York, New York 10004 4