How Much Added Sugar Is in Reese's vs Justin's? 21g vs 16g

Per package, Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (1.5 oz, 42 g) list 21 g of added sugar and 4.5 g of saturated fat, while Justin's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (1.4 oz, 40 g) list 16 g of added sugar and 8 g of saturated fat, according to each brand's nutrition panel (Reese's, Justin's). The two cups also differ in their emulsifiers and preservatives, and this side-by-side comparison sets out those label facts.

Per package	Reese's (42 g)	Justin's (40 g)
Added sugar	21 g	16 g
Added sugar, %DV	42%	32%
Saturated fat	4.5 g (23% DV)	8 g (40% DV)
Sodium	135 mg (6% DV)	120 mg (5% DV)
TBHQ	Listed in ingredients as "TBHQ & Citric Acid"	Not listed on the milk chocolate cup ingredient list
PGPR	Listed in the milk chocolate ingredients	Not listed on the milk chocolate cup ingredient list
Palm oil	Not in the ingredient list	Organic palm oil
Emulsifiers	Soy lecithin, PGPR	Sunflower lecithin

Key takeaways:

• Reese's lists 21 g of added sugar (42% Daily Value), and Justin's lists 16 g (32% Daily Value), based on the FDA Daily Value of 50 g per day.
• Justin's lists more saturated fat per pack: 8 g (40% DV) versus 4.5 g (23% DV) for Reese's.
• Reese's lists 135 mg of sodium per pack, and Justin's lists 120 mg.
• Reese's ingredient list includes soy lecithin, PGPR, TBHQ, and citric acid. Justin's uses sunflower lecithin and organic palm oil, and its milk chocolate cup list names neither PGPR nor TBHQ.

How does added sugar compare per package in Reese's vs Justin's peanut butter cups?

Per package, Reese's lists 21 g of added sugar (42% Daily Value), while Justin's lists 16 g (32% Daily Value). Both figures are for one package, and the packages are not the same size: Reese's is 42 g and Justin's is 40 g.

Total sugars follow the same pattern. Reese's lists 22 g of total sugars, and Justin's lists 16 g.

The FDA sets the added sugars Daily Value at 50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The FDA's added sugars label guidance explains how this line appears on the Nutrition Facts label.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories per day. Open Food Facts lists the same Reese's ingredients but different nutrition numbers, so this comparison uses the brand page panel.

How much saturated fat is in Reese's vs Justin's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups?

Justin's lists 8 g of saturated fat per 40 g pack, which is 40% DV, while Reese's lists 4.5 g per 42 g package, which is 23% DV. Justin's pack therefore lists 3.5 g more saturated fat than Reese's. Justin's total fat is 15 g (19% DV), and Reese's is 12 g (15% DV).

Justin's panel lists 0 g of trans fat. Trans fat is not disclosed on the Reese's panel, so no trans fat comparison is made.

How much sodium is in Reese's vs Justin's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups?

Reese's lists 135 mg of sodium per 42 g package (6% DV), and Justin's lists 120 mg per 40 g pack (5% DV). That is a difference of 15 mg per pack on the labels.

The ingredient lists explain part of the source. Reese's lists salt, and Justin's lists sea salt. Neither panel breaks down sodium by component, so the comparison stays at the per-pack level.

What are TBHQ and PGPR in Reese's?

TBHQ appears in Reese's ingredient list as "TBHQ & Citric Acid (To Maintain Freshness)," and PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinoleate) appears within the milk chocolate listing next to soy lecithin. Under 21 CFR 172.185, the total antioxidant content of a food containing TBHQ may not exceed 0.02% of its oil or fat content. The amount of TBHQ in Reese's is not disclosed.

PGPR is an emulsifier used in the milk chocolate, alongside soy lecithin. The label does not state how much PGPR is used.

Justin's milk chocolate cup lists neither additive: its emulsifier is sunflower lecithin, and no preservative appears in its ingredient list.

Why does Justin's list organic palm oil?

Justin's lists organic palm oil in the peanut butter component of its ingredient list, along with organic peanut flour and sunflower lecithin. The reason for using palm oil is not stated on Justin's product page. Reese's ingredient list does not include palm oil.

The amount of palm oil per pack is not disclosed. Palm oil is one reason a label can show more saturated fat, but Justin's page does not break its 8 g of saturated fat down by ingredient.

Are the calorie, fat, protein, and fiber numbers different between the two cups?

Per package, Reese's (42 g) lists 210 calories, 12 g total fat, 4 g protein, and 24 g total carbohydrates, while Justin's (40 g) lists 230 calories, 15 g total fat, 4 g protein, and 20 g total carbohydrates, including 1 g of dietary fiber (4% DV).

Reese's panel does not list dietary fiber, so its fiber content is not disclosed, which is different from a stated amount of zero. Cholesterol is 0% DV for Reese's and 5 mg (2% DV) for Justin's. Justin's also lists calcium 30 mg (2% DV), iron 0.4 mg (2% DV), and potassium 90 mg (2% DV).

Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (1.4 oz) are a separate product and are not part of the comparison above. Its pack lists 220 calories, 14 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, and 16 g added sugars per 40 g pack.

Which allergens and certifications appear on each label?

Reese's lists "Contains: Milk, Peanuts, Soy." Its page also shows the OU-D mark and the words GLUTEN FREE.

Justin's milk chocolate cup lists organic full cream milk and organic peanuts in its ingredients, and its ingredient list includes no soy ingredient. Its allergen statement is not disclosed here, so a soy-free or gluten-free claim cannot be confirmed from the label data this article uses. The dark chocolate cup's page describes its chocolate as organic and Rainforest Alliance certified.

How can shoppers spot these differences on a Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list?

Use this checklist on either package:

• Check the serving size first: Reese's is 1 package (42 g), and Justin's is 1 pack (40 g).
• Find the "Includes X g Added Sugars" line and its %DV, then compare it with the 50 g Daily Value.
• Compare saturated fat in grams and %DV, since the two cups differ by 3.5 g per pack.
• Scan the ingredient list for emulsifiers such as soy lecithin, PGPR, and sunflower lecithin.
• Look for preservatives such as TBHQ, and for the phrase "to maintain freshness."
• Look for palm oil in the ingredient list and the word "organic" in front of each ingredient.
• Read the "Contains" statement for milk, peanuts, and soy.

For a broader snack example, see 5 Lunchbox Snacks Scanned: String Cheese to Fig Bars.

What does the FDA added sugars Daily Value mean for a single pack of each product?

The FDA Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g per day, so one Reese's package supplies 42% of that figure and one Justin's pack supplies 32%. A %DV describes a share of a reference amount, not a limit set for a single food. The Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories per day, which is a whole-day measure.

The number of cups per pack is not disclosed for either product, so this article cannot say how many grams a typical serving of cups adds up to across a day. Shoppers can compare the %DV on each package with their own daily pattern.

Where can shoppers find related snack comparisons on Aurascan?

Aurascan's related snack guides include 5 Chips and Popcorns Scanned for Seed Oils, which looks at ingredient lists in a different snack category. Shoppers comparing peanut-based products can also read Jif or Skippy? Same 190 Calories, Different Ingredients.