Brief #8 | Misinformation and Fact-Checking

Misinformation and Fact-Checking

In 2017, the article titled 3 Reasons You Should Stop Eating Peanut Butter Cups was written by David Wolfe. The article stated that Reese’s contained 3 questionable ingredients that you should avoid. The first ingredient was soy lecithin which had “been found to have detrimental effects on fertility and reproduction…It has also been linked to breast cancer.” The next reason why you should avoid peanut butter cups is because of the ingredient PGPR, short for polyglycerol polyricinoleate. The article claimed that this ingredient replaced cocoa butter to reduce the cost of production. The article also says that “It has been connected to gastrointestinal problems and allergic reactions in children.” The final ingredient that consumers should avoid, according to this article, is TBHQ, short for tertiary butylhydroquinone. “Side effects of ingesting TBHQ include nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, and collapse.” The article lists a couple of more side effects from TBHQ.

The article was shared over 270,000 on Facebook. The article claimed that the three ingredients were dangerous to consume. Although all three of these ingredients are present in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, the accusations of the ingredients are not true. The study Wolfe used to back the statement that soy lecithin affects fertility and reproduction was a study done on rats in 1985. In the study, they replaced 2-5% of the mass of their food with soy lecithin to see if it did affect the development of offspring. The amount of soy lecithin used in the study for the rats would be 1000x more than the FDA recommended daily amount. 

pic.twitter.com/tGiflvwj8z

— REESE'S (@reeses) September 20, 2017

PGPR is commonly added to improve texture and add volume. Wolfe’s only evidence to support his statement that “it has been connected to gastrointestinal problems and allergic reactions in children,” is that some kids have reactions to peanut butter cups. There is no study that says it is specifically the PGPR. It could be any of the ingredients that cause those problems. The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) performed a study in 2017 to reaffirm PGPR’s safety. The study found that “Acute oral toxicity of PGPR is low, and short-term and subchronic studies indicate PGPR is tolerated at high doses without adverse effects.” 

The final ingredient TBHQ was found dangerous after a study was done where animals ingested large doses or “chronic exposure.” The ingredient found in petroleum, Pop-Tarts, and other petroleum products has been confirmed safe by the ESFA. Another side effect written by Wolfe was that it “may show anxiety restlessness and intensified ADHD symptoms.” There are no peer-reviewed studies linked to any of these side effects. 

The accusations by David Wolfe were fictitious and deceptive. There is a problem with lying to viewers. This isolated situation didn’t affect anyone, but it proved that misinformation is so common. Always check the resources and don’t just take people's word. Things like this happen more often than people realize, sometimes on much larger scales. Misinformation occurs in politics and government issues often which is a problem when it comes to making decisions that will affect people's lives. Misinformation can be scary, but it also can be funny. To wrap this brief up, I want to leave you with this article where Yoko Ono admitted to having an affair with Hillary Clinton.