EXHIBIT 99
                                                                                
[LOGO OF HERSHEY FOODS APPEARS HERE] Hershey Foods NEWS Corporate Communications
- - Hershey Foods Corporation - 100 Crystal A Drive -
                                Hershey, PA 17033
                E-mail: pr@hersheys.com - http://www.hersheys.com


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   CONTACT:
- ---------------------                   --------
February 25, 1999                       John C. Long
                                        717-534-7631

                                        FINANCIAL CONTACT:
                                        ------------------
                                        James A. Edris
                                        717-534-7556



                      HERSHEY FOODS PURCHASES COMMON STOCK

HERSHEY, Pa. -- Hershey Foods Corporation announced that it has purchased $100
million of its Common Stock from Hershey Trust Company, as Trustee of the Milton
Hershey School Trust. The corporation bought 1,579,779 shares at $63.30 per
share, the current market price of the Common Stock. The $100 million repurchase
is part of the corporation's ongoing $230 million Common Stock repurchase
program announced in early February 1999.

     Hershey Trust Company, as Trustee of the Milton Hershey School Trust, has
advised the corporation that it intends to retain voting control of the
corporation, which the School Trust has held since 1918, and that it has sold
the shares to diversify the School Trust's investment holdings.

     Hershey Trust Company, as Trustee for the School Trust, will continue to
have approximately 76 percent of the voting power of the outstanding shares of
both classes of the corporation's common stock following the transaction. It
continues to hold 99.5 percent of all Class B Common Stock shares outstanding,
which carry 10 votes per share.

     Milton Hershey School, located in Hershey, Pa., is a private, non-profit
boarding school for needy children. The School currently cares for over 1,000
boys and girls in grades kindergarten through twelve. The full cost of education
and care for the students at the School is paid from income of the Trust created
by Milton S. and Catharine S. Hershey in 1909.

     "This transaction represents an excellent opportunity to invest some of the
net proceeds from the recently completed sale of our pasta business," said
Kenneth L. Wolfe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We will be continuing
to repurchase additional shares under the remaining $130 million authorization
in the open market or other privately-negotiated transactions."

     Hershey Foods Corporation, the leading confectionery company in the United
States, is engaged in the manufacture, distribution and sale of chocolate and
non-chocolate confectionery and chocolate-related grocery products in North
America and in selected international markets.

                                    # # #