There’s a good chance that you’ve eaten a Snickers, Milky Way, or Hershey bar that had an odd particle of white dust or a portion that was a different color. There is a good chance that you have pondered the topic, “Exactly how long has that chocolate bar been lying on the shelf at that convenience store?” Perhaps you’ve even pondered whether or not it’s fit for human consumption. It turns out that the dusty look is caused by a process known as “chocolate bloom,” which occurs when cocoa powder is heated. This is how the process goes.
If Your Chocolate Has a Dusty Appearance, It Is for These Reasons
What exactly is meant by “chocolate bloom”?
Chocolate bloom may be explained with some basic knowledge of food science; this phenomenon occurs when the fat in chocolate separates from the rest of the confection. When chocolate is brought into a heated environment and allowed to melt, the cocoa butter, which is also referred to as the fat in the chocolate, will separate from the other components of the chocolate when it cools and reforms. After that, when the fat rises to the surface, it leaves behind a layer that is white and powdery.
Crystallization of the sugar occurs as a result of an excess of moisture in a process that is analogous to chocolate sugar bloom. When anything like this takes place, the surface of the candy bar will often take on a spotted look.
Is it okay to eat chocolate that has bloomed?
To address your question in a nutshell: yes, it is safe. It’s possible that the flavor will wind up being a bit off, but you can still eat it.
If you don’t feel comfortable eating chocolate that has blossomed but doesn’t want to throw it away, you may use it in baked goods instead. You may crumble the candy bars and sprinkle them on top of chocolate-covered pretzels, drop them into chocolate bar biscuits, or mix bits of chocolate bar brownies.
Next, figure out which dates of expiry you should under no circumstances disregard.