
Claim: A widely circulated video shows two people discovering a maggot infestation inside a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.
UNDETERMINED
Examples:
[Collected via Twitter, August 2014]
DO NOT EAT HERSHEY PRODUCTS THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE OCCURENCES OF MAGGOTS BEING FOUND IN REESE'S
— cockadock (@ThaiLanotics) August 25, 2014
Someone posted a video of maggots in their Reese's and I just kind of scrolled past it because I don't need everything ruined for me.
— Em (@acreativecolor) August 24, 2014
Stop lying “@LuluNddBri: “@LetMeLiveTho: Maggots found in... pic.twitter.com/BcKXvettDKâ€So glad I don't eat Reese's 😖😷â€
— DreamChaser (@LetMeLiveTho) August 24, 2014
Origins: On or around 23 August 2014, a now-viral video involving Reese's Peanut Butter Cups crawling with maggots began spreading like wildfire on the social web. As is often the case, the rumors lead back to one clip, but the virality of the footage is creating the impression for many Twitter and Facebook users that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are routinely infested with maggots.
The clip achieved a new level of audience when it was shared on the World Star Hip Hop page, and in response to the heavily circulated single clip, Reese's social media team appears to be buried under a siege of panicked queries about the maggot video.
A few things stand out about the Reese's maggots clip, which is of undetermined veracity. One is that the footage begins with an already opened Reese's cup, and the other is that both people in the video are wearing blue gloves, suggesting a possible laboratory setting.
The opened package alone makes verifying the source of the maggots seen in the video difficult from the outset. In addition to opened packaging on the Reese's cup in question, the surface of the chocolate on the top of the item is pre-cracked, suggesting maggots could have been deliberately introduced as part of an experiment or practical joke.
Could a Reese's cup be harboring maggots, whether or not this video is entirely straightforward? As of now, Reese's has been heavily apologizing to offended consumers via both their Facebook and Twitter pages — and the brand explains how maggots could come to be inside a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup should that be the case:
If you have yet to see the Reese's "maggots" video, you can view it by clicking here. However, the clip in question involves a degree of loud swearing, and should not be opened in work settings.
Last updated: 28 August 2014