In summer or in hot areas it is normal for chocolate to not withstand high temperatures. Cookies, chocolates or tablets end up completely disfigured with the melted chocolate. But is it healthy to eat it?
Generally speaking, yes. Thanks to the antioxidant properties of cocoa beans, a melted chocolate bar is safe to eat in the car. Melted chocolate doesn’t necessarily spoil or pose a health threat. Therefore, it is absolutely not dangerous to eat a melted chocolate inside a gift box or plastic wrap. But what happens when the chocolate turns white?
melted chocolate flower
Chocolate bloom is characterized by a grayish-white appearance , a white sheen on the surface, or a whitish film covering the chocolate. When we detect this appearance in our favorite candy, it does not mean that the chocolate has gone bad or that it is moldy.
Chocolate bloom is not necessarily dangerous or unhealthy. It can develop in the form of sugar bloom due to humidity or fat bloom due to drastic changes in temperature or poor tempering. Chocolate blooming only affects the appearance and texture of the chocolate, not its taste. So if we find flowers on the chocolate bar, we can eat it without worry.
Buying chocolate in summer has always been a challenge for chocolate lovers. That’s why the best chocolatiers offer no melting guarantee, deliver the chocolate same day or next day, and use insulated shipping boxes to overcome the problem of chocolate distribution.
Milk chocolate lasts longer
The sugar content of milk chocolate is very high (around 50%), enough to retard the growth of mold and bacteria . Much of the rest is fat, and neither mold nor bacteria grow as well on pure fat. They need some water to survive, and milk chocolate doesn’t have much.
It can absorb water from the air as it melts, potentially diluting the sugar and giving rise to mold or bacteria. That may shorten their shelf life a bit, but refrigeration will keep mold and bacteria down for a while. Since the chocolate has already been melted, it is recommended to eat it within a few weeks.
As we said before, it is very likely to “bloom”. That’s not mold; it is cocoa butter crystallizing. It means that the chocolate will not have the same texture as it did when properly tempered. However, being milk chocolate, they will never look the same as milk-free chocolates.
