Discovering Worms in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: Causes, Frequency, and Safety Tips

Discovering Unwanted Ingredients: Worms in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

As one of the most popular chocolate candies in the United States, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have been a staple candy choice for generations. The classic chocolate and peanut butter flavor combination has made Reese's a beloved brand. However, no food product is without occasional quality control issues. In very rare instances, some unfortunate customers have reported finding worms or other insect larvae in their Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

What Causes Worms in Reese's Cups?

Finding worms or maggots in any food product would understandably be alarming and off-putting for the consumer. However, there are reasonable explanations for how this can occur that have nothing to do with unhygienic manufacturing practices.

Small flies or moths can inadvertently get into food packaging facilities and lay eggs without being noticed. The eggs hatch into larvae that remain undetected when the product is packed and sealed. If the infestation happened early enough in the process, the larvae have time to grow into worms or maggots before the product reaches the consumer.

While food manufacturers have quality control processes to prevent situations like this, it is impossible to detect every single insect egg or larvae that gets into a facility. So on very rare occasions, the worms remain unnoticed until after the product is purchased.

How Often Does This Happen with Reese's?

Considering how widely popular Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are, reports of finding worms in the candy are extremely uncommon. Hershey's, the company that makes Reese's, manufactures and distributes millions of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups every day in facilities all over the world. But only a tiny fraction of a percentage of those candies ever have contamination issues.

For example, in 2016 there were a couple viral social media posts showing worms found in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups purchased at Walmart stores. While garnering a lot of attention online, these were isolated incidents that represented a minute fraction of the Reese's products made that year.

Situations like this can happen with any food manufacturer. The fact that so few candies out of the millions produced are ever affected demonstrates that Hershey's has very good quality control standards in place at their facilities.

Is it Safe to Eat Reese's After Hearing About Worms?

Finding larvae or worms in any food product would rightly make someone hesitant to eat similar products in the future. However, it's important to maintain perspective in these situations.

Isolated incidents of pests making it into finished products does not mean that the manufacturing process is unsafe overall. It simply reflects the sheer impossibility of detecting every single insect egg or larvae that enters a facility.

The fact that each situation receives wide publicity because of its rarity should provide confidence to consumers that significant issues are not common.

Hershey's adheres to very stringent food safety regulations and standards. Any reports of contamination are thoroughly investigated to identify where the process failed and how to prevent future recurrence. You can feel confident that each Reese's cup undergoes multiple quality checks during manufacturing.

Millions of people have enjoyed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups over the decades without incident. The likelihood that any individual candy contains contaminants is extremely low.

How to Check Reese's for Worms

If hearing about past contamination cases makes you more cautious with your Reese's, there are some common sense steps you can take:

• Inspect the wrapper carefully for any holes, punctures, or small tears that could allow pests inside
• Check that the top and bottom of the cup appear sealed with no gaps
• Feel the candy through the package to ensure the shape and consistency feels correct
• Squeeze the package gently to check for any signs of movement inside
• Open over a plate or napkin to contain any spillage
• Visually inspect the inner and outer candy before eating

Following these tips when opening a Reese's cup should reveal any potential issues before you take a bite. And again, problems are exceedingly rare, so there is no need to be alarmed about ordinary Reese's products.

What to Do if You Find Worms in Reese's

If despite the rarity you happen to discover worms or insects after opening a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, follow these steps:

1. Discard the candy immediately
2. Save all packaging materials and the uneaten portion
3. Contact Hershey's consumer relations department to report the issue
4. Consider submitting the candy to a lab for testing
5. Document your experience with photographs
6. Hershey's will likely request the lot code information from the packaging

Hershey's has a process in place to address contamination reports and ensure you receive proper follow up. Having the actual product and packaging helps their quality team investigate what could have gone wrong at the facility.

Should Reese's Worms Scare You Away Completely?

Finding an unpleasant contaminant in any food would naturally make someone hesitant to eat it again. Understandably, many people online report swearing off Reese's Peanut Butter Cups after hearing about others finding worms.

However, it's worth considering the scope of the problem. A few worms found in individual candies out of the many millions produced is not likely to indicate any systemic issues with safety protocols.

Unless you experience a problem firsthand, you can likely continue enjoying Reese's with peace of mind. Taking basic precautions like inspecting packaging and the candy itself should give you confidence.

If it eases your mind, consider only purchasing Reese's from stores with high volume where the shelves are freshly stocked with new product often. Avoid purchasing any candies with packaging flaws or signs of tampering.

With reasonable precautions and perspective on the scale of reported issues, you need not deprive yourself of the classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cup experience.

The Bottom Line on Worms in Reese's

Finding unexpected and unwanted ingredients like worms or insects in any food is undoubtedly an unpleasant experience. But Reese's Peanut Butter Cups continue to be a beloved brand because these incidents are few and far between.

Hershey's manufactures millions of perfectly delicious Reese's every day using thorough safety processes. But the scale of production makes it impossible to prevent every single error. The rare cases that slip through do not necessarily indicate a larger problem.

Continue to enjoy Reese's candies knowing contamination issues are very uncommon. Take basic precautions and inspect each candy before eating. If any issues arise, be sure to report them promptly to Hershey's customer service.

With reasonable perspective on the microscopic chance of finding a worm in your Reese's, you can satisfy your chocolate and peanut butter craving without worry.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.