A Utah father sneaks some candy out of his child’s Halloween basket, snagging a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. However, he says he was disappointed by the taste.
In a video with over 2.7 million views, TikToker Brady Michael Libby (@brady.michael.lib) sits in his kitchen, asking viewers to weigh in on his less-than-satisfying Reese’s experience.
“Has anyone else noticed that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups taste nasty now?” he asks. “I was dipping into my kid’s Halloween candy and figured I’d go for one.”
However, when he takes a bite, he says the peanut butter-filled chocolate candy tastes like “straight chemicals.”
Why do Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups taste different?
“I swear they didn’t use to taste like that,” he laments. “Now, I understand that they are indeed chalk full of chemicals, so it makes sense. But I could swear they didn’t use to taste that nasty.”
In the comments, viewers say they noticed the change this Halloween, too.
“I’m a Reese’s connoisseur. They are disgusting now,” one says.
“Yes, the quality has dropped substantially the last few years,” another writes.
According to Ingredient Inspector, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have undergone several ingredient changes—although the exact timing of the change is unclear.
Original Reese’s used to have just nine ingredients. The latest version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has 14 ingredients, including PGPR, an emulsifier that can be used to replace part of the natural cocoa butter.
In a TikTok direct message to The Mary Sue, Libby writes, “The quality of our foods has gone down significantly and people are sick of paying more for ‘food’ that makes you feel sick.”
He continues, “A lot of people have said that they rarely eat candy anymore because it just doesn’t taste right anymore, and it’s too unhealthy, which is what I’ve noticed for myself as well.”
What do shoppers think of the new taste?
Some commenters suggest ingredient changes could be due to increasing costs of several key ingredients in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
“I wonder if it has to do with the shortage of cocoa beans and they are cutting corners because their prices have not changed as much as say straight up chocolate,” one suggests.
“Cutting corners to save them money but over charging is becoming to norm. Im really getting sick of it,” another says.
“It’s like shrinkflation but with ingredients they are using cheaper chocolate and peanut butter,” a third comments.
However, others say they don’t believe there’s a significant change in the candy.
“Ya, naw. They taste the same. at least in Canada anyway. but fun fact… the number of taste buds decreases with age, and their sensitivity can diminish, leading to different taste perceptions,” a commenter writes.
“I used to love Reese’s and I thought maybe it was just because I’m older now that they taste different,” another says.
@brady.michael.lib When did peanut butter cups start tasting this bad!?
♬ original sound – Brady Michael Libby
The Mary Sue reached out to Libby via TikTok direct message and to The Hershey Company via contact form for further comment.
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