Understanding Chocolate Shelf Life Beyond the Expiration Date
Most of the time, chocolate doesn’t degrade all at once. Instead, it deteriorates by steadily losing characteristics related to texture, flavor, aroma, and appearance. Because of this gradual degradation, some chocolate products may technically still be safe to eat but no longer enjoyable. Chocolate expiration dates are often meant to represent the quality of the product rather than safety; improper or sub-par conditions may cause deterioration well before the expiration date is reached. Chocolate in a deteriorated state may indicate aging (i.e., “bloom”) and may lose taste, develop different mouth-feel characteristics, or other indicators that suggest improper storage conditions affecting the product. Oxygen and water are the most common reasons for the gradual deterioration of chocolate. Even the smallest amount of air or moisture that enters the package over time can trigger unwanted chemical reactions between sugars and oils. This would happen more quickly with milk chocolate...