Mold on chocolate: to eat or not to eat?

There is nothing more exciting than finding an old bar of chocolate that you had saved for a special occasion and forgot about, especially when you have a little chocolate craving.

However, that excitement can be quickly cut short when you unwrap the bar of chocolate and discover that it’s covered in a white coating that looks eerily like mold.

Most of us would immediately throw this chocolate away and not risk it since we are always told that mold can make you very sick.

But is chocolate really mold, and can you still eat it? Chocolate almost never molds. That white coating you find on chocolate that’s been stored for a while is called a bloom, and it’s caused by the sugar or fat in the chocolate. It’s completely safe to eat, and it shouldn’t make you throw away the chocolate.

The bloom found in chocolate may seem chalky, and it may slightly change the taste of the chocolate, but it’s not bad for you, and you can still eat the chocolate.

If you’re still hesitant to eat your white speckled chocolate, read on to find out more!

How to tell if chocolate is moldy

It is very difficult for mold to grow on chocolate, as the chocolate bars we buy at the store do not have enough moisture to support mold growth.

The chocolate is dry and fairly free of moisture, which is the opposite of what mold and bacteria need to thrive.

However, you may see a white, chalky coating on chocolate that you’ve left out in the pantry for too long, and while this may look a lot like mold, it’s quite different, and it’s called a bloom.

Bloom occurs when chocolate is exposed to different temperatures or external moisture , so bloom only really affects the outside of the chocolate.

The bloom is due to the sugar or fat in the chocolate crystallizing, causing the whitish chalky coating or dots that the chocolate develops.

The only time people notice mold on chocolate is when they are making chocolate by hand at home using wet ingredients. This can occur with homemade truffles or similar chocolate treats that have a more moist consistency.

However, this will not happen with store-bought chocolate bars, as these are usually very dry and lack moisture.

Why is my chocolate white?

The most likely reason why your chocolate has turned white is blooming, which is a very common phenomenon that occurs with chocolate that has been exposed to external moisture or a change in temperatures.

There are two types of bloom, which means there are two different reasons why your chocolate might develop a white coating.

The first is the sugar bloom, and the second is the fat bloom. Here you have a little more information about each of them, so that you can rest assured that it is not about mold.

sugar bloom

Sugar bloom occurs when chocolate comes into contact with external moisture.

This causes the sugar crystals on the surface of the chocolate bar to dissolve, which appear as a chalky white residue on the surface of the chocolate.

blooming fat

Fat bloom occurs when chocolate is not properly tempered, or when it is stored in conditions where the temperature changes quite drastically.

Fat bloom looks very similar to sugar bloom, but has a grayer tinge and is quite powdery.

Most fats are fine at different temperatures, but cocoa butter stays solid at room temperature, so when exposed to a higher temperature, it will melt and then solidify again to an unsuitable state, and then it will develop the white layer on top.

Is it really mold in the chocolate?

Although it is very, very rare, there is a chance that the chocolate will mold.

Most of the time, the white coating you see on chocolate is either a sugar bloom or a fat bloom, but there are some special cases where chocolate can mold.

One of the ways that chocolate can develop mold is if the cocoa beans that were used to make the chocolate were moldy before processing.

Cocoa, the main ingredient used to make chocolate, is harvested and then processed to make chocolate.

Most reputable chocolate brands pay a high price for good quality cocoa beans, but some don’t, and sometimes things get away, and moldy cocoa beans could have been used to make your chocolate.

This would give your chocolate an unpleasant taste that you would notice right away , and if left to sit, the chocolate could develop mold over time, although this is unlikely.

In other very unlikely cases, mold may be caused by poor packaging or by pathogens the chocolate has been exposed to during packaging.

Other things added to the chocolate, such as fruit or nuts, can also be a reason for mold.

If you’re not sure, it’s safer to throw out the chocolate and buy a new bar.

Green mold and white mold on chocolate

Green mold and white mold are the two most common colors of mold you’ll find on food and growing in your home.

This does not mean that green and white mold are always the same types of mold, but the way the color develops is similar.

The biggest difference between green and white mold is what they prefer to grow, as green mold prefers to grow on food, and white mold prefers to grow on plants or wood surfaces.

Green mold is the color of mold commonly seen on fruit, as well as highly starchy foods, typically bread. This mold, like others, needs moisture to grow and thrive, so the fruit provides an ideal environment for it.

If there was any mold on the chocolate, either from moldy cocoa beans or poor packaging, it would be green mold.

Always avoid eating this green mold , and better toss the chocolate to be safe.

What does moldy chocolate look like?

Moldy chocolate looks very similar to what you would expect: there are signs of mold on the surface of the chocolate, probably green in color.

This is often confused with bloom, which is the chalky white appearance of chocolate when it has been exposed to different temperatures or external humidity.

It can be hard to tell them apart, and most people assume the chalky white film is mold, but most of the time it’s not mold growing on your chocolate, it’s just bloom.

Moldy chocolate will also have a strange taste or smell, but you shouldn’t eat a bite of chocolate that you think is moldy.

Although bloom and mold look similar, there is a difference between them, and if it is white and fuzzy and is growing off and above the surface of the chocolate, then it is mold.

If it’s just a chalky layer on the surface of the chocolate, it’s probably blooming.

How to tell if chocolate has gone bad

It can be difficult to tell if the chocolate has gone bad or not, but there are some signs you can look for to determine whether or not the chocolate is edible.

Here are some of the things to look for and keep in mind when deciding whether or not to eat that chocolate you found lying around, or if it’s safer to throw it away and buy a new bar.

sugar bloom

Sugar bloom can cause a chalky white coating on the surface of your chocolate, but it’s usually not a big problem. It occurs due to a change in temperature that has caused the sugars to crystallize.

This will give your chocolate a white, chalky surface, and can even give the chocolate a grainy texture. This isn’t the most pleasant dining experience, but it’s still good and safe.

fat bloom

Like sugar bloom, fat bloom can cause a grayish-white film on the surface of the chocolate. The fats in the cocoa butter have separated and risen to the surface, causing a change in appearance.

However, it is edible and does not change the flavor or texture of the chocolate much.

Smell

Chocolate is one of those foods that absorbs the odor of anything that comes near it, which is really unpleasant when the chocolate has been stored next to strong-smelling salty foods.

If you notice that the chocolate is giving off a salty odor, and there are no other signs of spoilage, it should be safe to eat.

However, if you notice that your chocolate is giving off a strange odor and it hasn’t been placed near any other strong-smelling foods, it could be a sign that it’s past its expiration date and you should throw the bar of chocolate away.

Date of Expiry

Always make sure to check the expiration date of the chocolate you want to consume.

Most of the time, there is nothing wrong with eating chocolate beyond the best before date, as it just means that the quality of the chocolate will not be as good as it should be, but this should not be too noticeable.

If there is an expiration date on the chocolate, you should pay attention to it, especially if the chocolate has other ingredients like fruit, nuts, or caramel.

It’s best to look for signs of spoilage if the chocolate you want to eat is past its expiration date.

Test

Although this shouldn’t be the way to tell if a suspect food has gone bad, you should be able to tell immediately if the chocolate has gone bad just by taste.

It is highly unlikely and uncommon for chocolate to go bad, but if it has gone bad, it will taste strange or rancid.

Sometimes it can also be too strong a cocoa flavor or flavors you don’t recognise.

Can I scrape off the mold?

The white film you see on the surface of your chocolate is most likely a layer of fat or sugar, and it’s perfectly fine to eat and you don’t really need to try to remove it.

If the chalky white layer bothers you a lot, you can re-temper the chocolate and place it in a mold to harden.

This will remove this white film and give you normal looking chocolate again, but be aware that tempering the chocolate more than once can alter the quality of the flavor.

Because when there’s actual mold on the chocolate, you might be tempted to try to scrape it off and eat the rest of the chocolate.

It is never a good idea to try to eat food that has already gone moldy, and we would always recommend that you throw out food that has started to grow moldy.

There are some people who don’t mind scraping the mold off the chocolate and eating the rest, and if the mold hasn’t spread too far, and you can cut all the mold off, there should be little risk of foodborne illness.

Can chocolate bloom make you sick?

How many chocolate bars have you thrown away because they had that white coating on top? You may be disappointed to find that you didn’t have to throw them away, and the chocolate was edible!

It’s always better to play it safe and not eat food you’re not sure about, but going forward, if you look at that white coating on the chocolate, you can be sure it’s okay to gobble up.

The chocolate bloom will not make you sick or harm you. However, you may notice a slight change in the texture of the chocolate, being a bit grainier than usual.

It’s also possible that the chocolate loses a bit of flavor, but again, that’s ok.

If you don’t want to eat chocolate covered in couverture, you can always use it in recipes that call for chocolate, since once the chocolate is melted, this couverture disappears and the chocolate looks normal again.

mold on chocolate

It is highly unlikely that you will find actual mold on the chocolate. Although it’s not impossible, most of the time you see a chalky white film on the surface of your chocolate, it’s caused by fat or sugar bloom, not mold.

Chocolate doesn’t provide a good environment for mold to grow, which is great because it means the chocolate doesn’t go bad often, and even if it has a white bloom surface, the chocolate will still be absolutely fine to eat!

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over what to do if you find mold on your chocolate, let’s look at some related questions!

Should chocolate be kept in the fridge?

Whether or not you should keep chocolate in the fridge is a much-discussed topic in most homes. There is no clear answer about it. If your house has a cool and constant temperature, there is no reason to keep your chocolate in the fridge.

If the temperature in your house fluctuates often, it is better to store the chocolate in the fridge. Keep in mind that chocolate stored in the refrigerator can develop blooming.

Can you save the chocolate that has turned white?

If you don’t want to eat the chocolate that now has a white coating, you can melt and mold it again. This helps to reincorporate the fat into the chocolate again and will remove any white bits from the surface.