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Reese's Pieces
Barcode 0034000114702
AVOIDIs Reese's Pieces safe?
Reese's Pieces is rated AVOID by BannedPantry: its label lists 3 ingredients that are banned or restricted outside the US — Red 40 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)); Yellow 5 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)); Yellow 6 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)). All of them are still legal to sell in the US.
Flagged ingredients (3)
Red 40high
Banned or restricted in: EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)
Southampton Six colour (Allura Red, E129): EU-AUTHORISED but foods containing it must carry the label 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. Many manufacturers reformulate for the EU/UK instead.
Yellow 5high
Banned or restricted in: EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)
Southampton Six colour (tartrazine, E102): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the label 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'.
Yellow 6medium
Banned or restricted in: EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)
Southampton Six colour (Sunset Yellow FCF, E110): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the 'activity and attention in children' warning.
Cleaner swaps for Reese's Pieces
Same category, none of the flagged ingredients.
Hu Dark Chocolate Bar Simple
Hu
Paleo, no refined sugar, no soy lecithin, no artificial anything.
Alter Eco Organic Dark Chocolate
Alter Eco
Organic, Fair Trade, no soy lecithin, no artificial flavors.
Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Bars 12-pack
Endangered Species
Non-GMO, ethically sourced cocoa, no artificial flavors.
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Full ingredient list
SUGAR, PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUTS, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (PALM KERNEL OIL, SOYBEAN OIL), CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, DEXTROSE, 2% PALM KERNEL OIL, CORN SYRUP, SALT, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (YELLOW 5 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, RED 40 LAKE, BLUE 1 LAKE), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, CONFECTIONER'S GLAZE, LECITHIN (SOY), VANILLIN (ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), CARNAUBA WAX, MILK.
Common questions
Is Reese's Pieces banned in the United States?
No — every ingredient in Reese's Pieces is currently legal to sell in the US. However, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 are banned or restricted in other regions: Red 40 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)); Yellow 5 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)); Yellow 6 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)).
Which ingredients in Reese's Pieces are flagged?
Red 40: Southampton Six colour (Allura Red, E129): EU-AUTHORISED but foods containing it must carry the label 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. Many manufacturers reformulate for the EU/UK instead. Yellow 5: Southampton Six colour (tartrazine, E102): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the label 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. Yellow 6: Southampton Six colour (Sunset Yellow FCF, E110): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the 'activity and attention in children' warning.
What does the AVOID rating mean?
BannedPantry checks each labeled ingredient against food and cosmetic safety standards from the EU, UK, Canada, Japan, and California, with a citation for every flag. AVOID means at least one labeled ingredient is banned or restricted by a major overseas regulator, or is high-severity under our methodology. Ratings are never influenced by brands.
What can I buy instead of Reese's Pieces?
Comparable products without the flagged ingredients include Hu Dark Chocolate Bar Simple (Hu), Alter Eco Organic Dark Chocolate (Alter Eco), Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Bars 12-pack (Endangered Species). You can also scan any product's barcode free at https://bannedpantry.com to check it before you buy.
Run a full ingredient scan
See exactly which ingredients in Reese's Pieces are banned overseas, with sources.
Scan now →BannedPantry — Our scores are never influenced by brands.