Reese's Pieces

Last updated
Reese's Pieces
Type Confectionery
Inventor The Hershey Company
InceptionSeptember 1978;45 years ago (1978-09)
Manufacturer The Hershey Company
Current supplier The Hershey Company
Models madeStandard candy, Mini candies, baking chips
Website hersheyland.com/reeses-pieces/

Reese's Pieces are a peanut butter candy manufactured by The Hershey Company; they are oblate spheroid in shape and covered in candy shells that are colored yellow, orange, or brown. They can be purchased in plastic packets, cardboard boxes, or cup-shaped travel containers. The Reese company was founded by H.B. Reese. The H.B. Reese Candy Company was merged with The Hershey Company in 1963.

Contents

Overview

The candy was introduced to the US market first in September 1978. [1] [2] Shortly after, Reese's Pieces were introduced to the Canada market in 1980. [3] The then relatively new product became very popular with the 1982 release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , in which the candy is featured. [4]

Reese's Pieces were introduced in the UK in 1996, [5] but are produced in the US. [6]

Reese's Pieces are a product extension of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups line; they were designed to capitalize on the success of the chocolate-covered peanut butter cups, though unlike the cups, they have no chocolate. [7]

Variations

Reese's Pieces has been included in many Reese's and Hershey's products since its introduction. Below is a list of available products that contain Reese's Pieces, from the candy pieces being stuffed inside of existing chocolate bar variations to bags of baking chip mixes.[ citation needed ]

Currently Available Products Containing Reese's Pieces
ProductDescriptionSizesIngredientsNutrition ValueYear Introduced
Reese's PiecesA peanut butter candy in bite-size pieces containing Reese's peanut butter wrapped in a crunchy shell
  • standard size
  • bag
  • box
Sugar, partially defatted peanuts, hydrogenated vegetable oil palm kernel oil, soybean oil, corn syrup Solids, dextrose, Contains 2% Less of: corn syrup, palm kernel oil, salt, confectioner's glaze, modified corn starch, lecithin soy, artificial colorants yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake, red 40 lake, blue 1 lake, vanillin, artificial flavor, carnauba wax, milk [8]
Reese's Pieces
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 836.8 kJ (200.0 kcal)
25 g
Sugars 21 g
Dietary fibre 0 g
Fat
9 g
Saturated 8 g
Trans 0 g
4 g
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
0%
0 μg
Vitamin C
0%
0 mg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
0%
0 mg
Iron
22%
4 mg
Sodium
2%
45 mg

Amounts converted and rounded to be relative to 38 g serving.
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [9] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [10]
Source:
September 1978 [11]
Reese's Pieces PeanutThe original Reese's Pieces candies with the inclusion of peanuts.
  • bag
Sugar, Peanuts, Partially Defatted Peanuts, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel And Soybean Oil), Corn Syrup

Contains 2% Or Less Of: Dextrose, Artificial Color (Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake), Palm Kernel Oil, Confectioner's Glaze, Cornstarch, Modified Cornstarch, Salt, Lecithin (Soy), Carnauba Wax, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor), Milk. [12]

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter with Peanut
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 120 kJ (29 kcal)
56 g
Sugars 46 g
Fat
28 g
Saturated 15 g
Trans 0.0 g
13 g
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
0%
0 μg
Vitamin C
0%
0 mg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
0%
0 mg
Iron
10%
1.8 mg
Sodium
7%
154 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [9] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [10]
Source:
1980s [13]
Reese's Mini Pieces Baking ChipsMini Reese's Pieces peanut butter candy for baking
  • bag
Sugar, Partially Defatted Peanuts, Hydrogenated, Vegetable Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, Contains 2% or Less of: Palm Kernel Oil, Corn Syrup, Artificial Color, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Cornstarch, Salt, Confectioner's Glaze, Lecithin, Modified Cornstarch, Carnauba Wax, Vanillin (ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), Milk [14]
Reese's Pieces Minis Peanut Butter Candies
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 292.88 kJ (70.00 kcal)
10 g
Sugars 8 g
Dietary fibre 0 g
Fat
3.5 g
Saturated 3 g
Trans 0 g
2 g
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
0%
0 μg
Vitamin D
0%
0 μg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
1%
10 mg
Iron
2%
0.3 mg
Potassium
1%
40 mg
Sodium
1%
15 mg

Amounts converted and rounded to be relative to 15 g serving.
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [9] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [10]
Source:
2003 [15]
Reese's Baking Cups and Reese's Pieces CandyA mixture of mini Reese's Pieces peanut butter candies and mini Reese's Peanut Butter cups for baking
  • bag
Milk Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, Lecithin, PGPR, Sugar, Partially Defatted Peanuts, Peanuts, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Oil, Soybean Oil, Dextrose, Corn Syrup Solids

Contains 2% or Less of: Cocoa Butter, Palm Kernel Oil, Salt, Corn Syrup, Confectioner's Glaze, Lecithin, Modified Cornstarch, Artificial Color, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, PGPR, Vanillin (ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), Carnauba Wax, TBHQ (Preservative), Citric Acid (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS) [16]

Reese's Baking Cups and Reese's Pieces Candy
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 58.5289 kJ (13.9887 kcal)
9 g
Sugars 8 g
Dietary fibre 0 g
Fat
4 g
Saturated 2.5 g
Trans 0 g
1 g
Vitamins Quantity
%DV
Vitamin A equiv.
0%
0 μg
Vitamin D
0%
0 μg
Minerals Quantity
%DV
Calcium
1%
10 mg
Iron
2%
0.4 mg
Potassium
2%
45 mg
Sodium
1%
25 mg

Amounts converted and rounded to be relative to 15 g serving.
Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, [9] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. [10]
Source:
2018 [17]

Production

A yellow Reese's Piece cut in half, showing the peanut butter inside Respcsinside.jpg
A yellow Reese's Piece cut in half, showing the peanut butter inside

In the 1970s, the candies were produced by The Hershey Company using panning machines that had been used to make Hershey-ets, a chocolate-filled candy that had been discontinued. The candy was first called "PBs" and was later rechristened as Reese's Pieces. [18] Designers wanted a peanut-flavored candy but had problems with the filling. Original plans called for filling the candy shells with peanut butter, but the oil leaked out into the shell, leaving it soft, rather than crunchy.[ citation needed ]

The developer of the project turned the problem over to a team of outside scientists, who created a peanut-flavored penuche filling. [19] More experimentation was needed to determine the correct thickness of the shell. Finally, the colors of the candy coating were designed to coordinate with the color of the Reese's package. The color distribution goal is 50% orange, 25% brown, and 25% yellow. [20]

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

In 1982, the Mars candy bar company rejected a product placement offer for the inclusion of its key product M&M's in the Steven Spielberg film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial . Hershey accepted an offer for use of Reese's Pieces in the movie, and with the film's blockbuster success its product sales dramatically increased, perhaps as much as 300%. [21]

Product line expansion

In 2010, The Hershey Company expanded the Pieces line to include York Peppermint Pattie Pieces, Hershey's Special Dark Pieces, and Almond Joy Pieces. [22] Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds Pieces became the fourth expansion of this line in 2012. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hershey Company</span> American food company

The Hershey Company, often called just Hershey or Hershey's, is an American multinational confectionery company headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, which is also home to Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World. The Hershey Company is one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world; it also manufactures baked products, such as cookies and cakes, and sells beverages like milkshakes, as well as other products. The Hershey Company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 as the Hershey Chocolate Company, originally established as a subsidiary of his Lancaster Caramel Company. The Hershey Trust Company owns a minority stake but retains a majority of the voting power within the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M&M's</span> Brand of chocolate candy pieces

M&M's are color-varied sugar-coated dragée chocolate confectionery, each of which has the letter "m" printed in lower case in white on one side, consisting of a candy shell surrounding a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M's. The original candy has a semi-sweet chocolate filling which, upon introduction of other variations, was branded as the "plain, normal" variety. Peanut M&M's, which feature a peanut coated in milk chocolate, and finally a candy shell, were the first variation to be introduced, and they remain a regular variety. Numerous other variations have been introduced, some of which are regular widespread varieties while others are limited in duration or geographic availability. M&M's are the flagship product of the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars, Incorporated.

Butterfinger is a candy bar manufactured by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero, Nestlé. It consists of a layered crisp peanut butter core covered in a "chocolatey" coating. It was invented by Otto Schnering of the Curtiss Candy Company in 1923. The name was chosen by a popularity contest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peanut butter cup</span> Chocolate-coated peanut butter confection

A peanut butter cup is a molded chocolate with a peanut butter filling. Peanut butter cups are one of the most popular kinds of candy in America. They can be made at home, but like most candies, they are commonly mass-produced. They may also be available in candy shops, produced by local or regional candymakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reese's Peanut Butter Cups</span> American candy made by Hersheys

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are an American candy by the Hershey Company consisting of a peanut butter filling encased in chocolate. They were created on November 15, 1928, by H. B. Reese, a former dairy farmer and shipping foreman for Milton S. Hershey. Reese left his job with Hershey to start his own candy business. Reese's are a top-selling candy brand worldwide, with more than $2 billion in annual sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clodhopper (candy)</span>

Clodhoppers are crunchy, fudge-covered graham clusters. They were originally discovered and marketed by the Kraves Candy Co., located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In 2006, the brand and recipes were sold to Brookside Foods, who were in turn sold to Hershey's in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treets</span> Brand of confectionery

Treets were a brand of confectionery sold by Mars Limited in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reese's Take 5</span> Candy bar made by The Hershey Company

Reese's Take 5 is a candy bar that was released by The Hershey Company in December 2004. The original name of the candy bar was TAKE5 but common usage among consumers added a space. In June 2019, when the candy bar became part of the Reese's family, the name was officially changed to Reese's Take 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whoppers</span> Malted milk balls made by Hersheys

Whoppers are malted milk balls with an artificial flavored "chocolatey coating" produced by The Hershey Company. The candy is a round ball about 34 inch (20 mm)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hershey bar</span> American chocolate candy bar

The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar is a flagship chocolate bar manufactured by The Hershey Company. Hershey refers to it as "The Great American Chocolate Bar". The Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar was first sold in 1900.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milk Duds</span> Brand of caramel and cocoa confectionery

Milk Duds are a brand of candies made with chocolate and caramel, created in 1928 by Hoffman and Company of Chicago and now produced and marketed by The Hershey Company, under license from owners of the brand, Highlander Partners, a Dallas-based global private equity firm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. B. Reese</span> American businessman and inventor

Harry Burnett Reese was an American inventor and businessman known for creating the number one-selling candy brand in the United States; Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and founding the H. B. Reese Candy Company. In 2009, he was posthumously inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boyer (candy company)</span> American company

Boyer Candy Company is an American candy company located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The factory is located in the downtown district. Boyer Candy is privately owned by Consolidated Brands, which is owned by the Forgione family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whatchamacallit (candy)</span> Crisped rice candy bar

Whatchamacallit is a chocolate candy bar marketed in the United States by The Hershey Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme</span> Candy bar

Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme is a candy bar manufactured by The Hershey Company and first introduced in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NutRageous</span> Chocolate bar by The Hershey Company

NutRageous is a chocolate bar made by The Hershey Company. It consists of Reese's Peanut Butter topped with roasted peanuts and caramel covered in chocolate-flavored coating.

References

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  21. Snopes: Taking it E.T.
    Business by its very nature is cut-throat; competitors rarely aid one another because one company's success almost invariably comes at the expense of the other's vitality. When such leg-ups occur, they are often inadvertent — the result of one firm's having failed to take advantage of an opportunity that its competitor later cleaned up on. Such was the case when Mars, Inc. passed on the chance for its flagship product, M&Ms, to be the candy used in 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Its turn-down cleared the way for Hershey Foods Corporation to make a remarkable splash for its Reese's Pieces.
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