How Can You Tell If Chocolate Has Gone Bad?

Hello, Good People. How is life treating you these days? Hopefully, it is still as sweet as your favorite chocolate bar. Speaking of that, are you some of those people who have this habit? You keep your chocolate in the fridge for too long.

When you finally remember that it is still there, you have second thoughts. Is it still safely edible? Will you get sick if it isn’t? How can you tell if chocolate has gone bad?

Photo by Mariana Silvestre

The General Ruler

It is always best to look at the expiration date printed on the chocolate bar package. However, do not just throw it away just yet. As a general rule, if the chocolate candy is still tightly wrapped and kept in the fridge, it will still taste good in four months after the expiration date.

Another thing to keep in mind is the types of chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the longer it lasts. It will likely taste the same even after four months of its expiration date. Milk chocolate and white chocolate are a different story, though. They are high with milk and milk goes bad more easily.

If you bake the chocolate, the texture will change, but it makes the chocolate still safely edible.

So, how can you tell if chocolate has gone bad? Here are three easy ways to spot it:

1.     The temperature in the storage

How safe is your fridge at home? If your fridge is airtight, then here is the good news: your chocolate can still last up to eight months after its expiration date. If you only store it elsewhere, watch it. The heat of the weather may not only melt it. It will definitely make the chocolate go bad.

2.     The appearance of the chocolate

Milk chocolate and white chocolate tend to be more fickle than dark chocolate. In general, you can see some suspicious dots on the surface of your chocolate bar. It does not matter if it still looks slightly normal and tastes like it normally does. Just throw it away.

If you notice that there is mold on the chocolate, dump it immediately. No questions asked.

3.     The smell of the chocolate

How can you tell if chocolate has gone bad? Sniff it. Cocoa butter can absorb both flavors and odors of what is around it. If your chocolate smells funny, like some leftover pizza, then it is no longer safe to eat.

It is a shame that your favorite chocolate has gone bad. No worries, Good People. You can spot them easily.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully, the rest of your stash is still safely edible.