A private chef noticed a subtle two-word change on the Reese’s label, what she found means you’re not actually eating what you think you are

Private Chef Lee (@o_g_deez) created a viral two-part PSA on TikTok explaining why the two-word swap from “milk chocolate” to “chocolate candy” on some Resee’s products should make consumers pause. Her videos quickly racked up more than 900,000 views, proving that consumers are definitely noticing a difference in their favorite peanut butter cups.

This isn’t just semantics. Under U.S. law, “milk chocolate” has an official standard of identity from the FDA. That standard requires specific amounts of chocolate liquor, milkfat, and total milk solids. “Chocolate candy,” however, does not have an equivalent federal definition. That means products like the Unwrapped Minis can use this wording and fall under much broader candy guidance rather than a strict chocolate definition.

Lee points out that the coating on the Minis now reads more like “chocolate, vanilla-flavored oil” than traditional milk chocolate. She even joked that the ingredient list, which starts with sugar and includes palm, shea, sunflower, and palm kernel oils, sounds like one for a “hair care product.”

She explains why some people are experiencing the taste of Resee’s products to be chemical-like

Lee’s deep dive came after many viewers tagged her in videos complaining that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups taste nasty or waxy. She noticed that while the ingredients list hasn’t drastically changed, the overall nutritional profile has shifted dramatically over time. She explains that in the early 2000s, a package of Reese’s had about 250 calories and 14 grams of fat. Now, the current label shows just 210 calories and 12 grams of fat. This calorie drop is key to her theories about flavor changes.

First, she believes they are substituting expensive cocoa butter with an additive called PRPG. She says this additive, which she describes as a sweetener made from castor oil, gives the chocolate that waxy mouthfeel people are complaining about. She argued that a higher level of this additive could be “the reason why” people are saying the product tastes like chemicals or even vomit.

Second, Lee noted that the protein content stayed flat while the fiber doubled. She thinks this suggests they might be using a cheaper peanut variety because “everything is about the bottom dollar.” Not all varieties of peanuts contain the same amount of fiber, so this is a major clue. Finally, she suggests the product now uses less milk fat and more skim milk, which makes the final product “less creamy.” She explained that this is similar to what happened with Kit Kat products.

Lee also touched on the size debate, though she doesn’t think it’s the main culprit for the taste shift. While the twin packs saw a small change in weight years ago, she found a difference in the king-size packs. The king size consists of four cups, but instead of weighing the expected 3 ounces, it comes in at 2.8 ounces. That means you’re definitely getting a different product than just two double-twin packs.

This is happening right as the Trump administration is proposing to roll back parts of the food safety and labeling framework. We have seen similar cases with Breyers frozen treats exploiting FDA loophole and Pillsbury having aluminum inside biscuit dough. Experts warn that proposals to revoke long-standing “standards of identity” for dozens of foods could seriously weaken quality and transparency for consumers.