Reese's, Are they Safe? What is in them and false reports

When did the story become public?

September 20, 2017

Who was responsible for reporting the story?

David Wolfe

What social media platforms were used to spread the story?

Facebook

What major points make the story unethical?

The major points that make this story unethical is that it claims that in a Reese's peanut butter cup there contains Soy Lecithin a common ingredient in most candies and that it is harmful to people and can cause birth defects such as mental impairments or even breast cancer in women. This is simply not true and couldn't be farther from the truth.

How was it uncovered as unethical?

It was uncovered as unethical when it was shared rapidly on social media. People began to question Reese's as a company and so research was done to prove these allegations to be true or false. In my research I found that Soy Lecithin is only harmful from choline poisoning and not Soy Lecithin itself and even so the amounts would have to be in the extremes to cause any real harm. to the human body.

What actions were taken in response to the faulty information?

The actions taken by Reese's themselves on social media was to post a picture letting people know not to make false accusations against their product. In the picture it said, " Things you don't do: Spread Rumors, Tell Lies and Discontinue Reese's." I find that this overall was a great way to combat the allegations set towards them in a way that was not harmful but still got the point across well. If you are going to make a claim something is bad make sure you do all your research before you post or you might be the one on the receiving end of this type of post.

Sources

Chris Kresser, M. S. (2022, September 21). Harmful or harmless: Soy lecithin. Chris Kresser. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://chriskresser.com/harmful-or-harmless-soy-lecithin/

Mooney, P. (2021, August 16). 200k facebook shares: 3 reasons to stop eating reese's peanut butter cups [hoax]. The Inquisitr. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://www.inquisitr.com/4110937/200k-facebook-shares-3-reasons-to-stop-eating-reeses-peanut-butter-cups-hoax/

Reese's. (2017, September 20). Pic.twitter.com/tGiflvwj8Z. Twitter. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://twitter.com/reeses/status/910510866424049664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E910510866424049664%7Ctwgr%5E38dafabab3b16f86c914b279357ad374030b21c8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pennlive.com%2Ffood%2F2017%2F09%2Freeses_peanut_butter_cups.html

Wolfe, D., article, T., & Ivusic, M. (2017, March 25). This popular candy is linked to ADHD, Anxiety & Cancer! David Avocado Wolfe. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://www.davidwolfe.com/3-reasons-stop-eating-peanut-butter-cups/