A Washington Walmart customer believes the retailer sold year-old Halloween candy after biting into a “dry” Reese’s. However, some shoppers suspect other reasons for the subpar treat.
In a video with over 21,000 views, TikToker Sweets81 (@evavadnais0) holds a half-bitten Reese’s chocolate next to a long Walmart receipt.
“I don’t usually make posts like this, but I am irritated,” she says, showing an assorted bag of Reese’s. “I would assume that this is fresh Halloween candy.” But the first bite makes her question that.
Why was the Reese’s Halloween candy dry?
She notices that the chocolate has “bloomed” and the peanut butter center is “dry” when she bites the candy. Chocolate “blooms” create a grayish haze on the surface of the chocolate. This process is caused by water evaporating on the surface of the chocolate and recrystallizing, according to Gillco Ingredients.
She shows her receipt, which verifies that she purchased the candy on Sept. 1 from a Walmart in Poulsbo, Washington.
“There’s literally no dates on here,” she says, focusing on the bag. The caption continues, “Walmart is apparently selling year-old candy.”
The TikToker opens several more of the candies in follow-up videos, insisting that none of the packaging has an expiration date. Each candy has chocolate bloom with a dry center. However, several viewers catch a line under the barcode that says the chocolates are “best by 01/2026.”
Are ‘bloomed’ chocolates expired?
While bloomed chocolates aren’t exactly appetizing, commenters note that it doesn’t mean the candies have expired or are unsafe to eat.
“Bloom is caused by improper handling and storage; it has nothing to do with the production date,” one writes.
“It was simply stored in an environment where the temperature fluctuated. Doesn’t indicate age of the product,” another says.
“Yeah, it’s not Walmart. It’s the way it was shipped. You know, the things travel through other states and other companies. Countries, you know, in truck sets, aren’t temperature-controlled,” a third adds.
The TikToker responds to the comments, apologizing for not finding the expiration date while she was filming.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t find the date at the time of the post, and of course, I threw the bag away lol. I didn’t realize this was going to be such a huge debate!” she says. “I was just really disappointed because the Reese’s holiday shapes are my favorite! They have the best chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio! I expected them to be fresh and tasty with creamy peanut butter! I think that’s fair!”
@evevadnais0 Walmart is apparently selling year old candy
♬ original sound – sweets81
The Mary Sue reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and comment. We also contacted Walmart via contact form and The Hershey Company via email.
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