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)
   Cerminara           Frank
   100 Crystal A Drive


   Hershey, Pennsylvania  l7033
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Hershey Foods Corporation (HSY)
3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary)

4. Statement for Month/Day/Year
   2/5/03
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   [ ] Director                   [ ] 10% Owner
   [X] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below)
   Sr. Vice President, CFO
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
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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
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Common Stock                                  11/14/02    G    V   100.0000      D                              D  Direct
Common Stock                                  02/03/03    A        3,000.0000    A  $65.56000                   D  Direct
Common Stock                                  02/03/03    D        3,000.0000    D  $65.56000    592.0805       D  Direct
Common Stock                                                                                     6,177.8800     I  401(k) Plan


Table II (PART 1) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially
Owned (Columns 1 through 6)
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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
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Non-Qualified Stock Option     $64.50000       02/03/03       A         30,500.0000                       (2)          02/02/13
(right to buy) (1)


Table II (PART 2) Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially
Owned (Columns 1,3 and 7 through 11)
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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     02/03/03  Common Stock                   30,500.0000               30,500.0000   D   Direct
(right to buy) (1)


Explanation of Responses:

(1)
These options were granted under the Hershey Foods Corporation 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. (2) Options vest according to the following
schedule: 25% vest on the first anniversary of the grant date, an additional 25%
vest on the second anniversary of the grant date, an additional 25% vest on the
third anniversary of the grant date, and the options become fully vested on the
fourth anniversary of the grant date.



SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/S/ Cerminara           Frank
DATE 02/05/03