Pink, milk and dark chocolate. There are so many flavors of this delicacy, and it is certainly a much loved ingredient. Unfortunately, however, if stored too long at the time of discard you could observe pale spots, a sort of white patina surrounding the food. Here’s what the science says about it.
First you need to know that yes, in these conditions the chocolate can still be eaten without any problem. It is in fact a natural reaction known in jargon as “chocolate bloom”.
The treat, as we all know, is made with cocoa beans that are fermented and roasted to help trigger chemical reactions. The broad bean, which for the Mayans was a real currency of exchange, in turn contains about 50% cocoa butter (the fat part) and the 50% cocoa fiber (the melting part).
The cocoa fiber helps give regular chocolate its color and much of its taste, while the cocoa butter is responsible for the richness of the treat. Chocolate bloom occurs when the molecules within the confectionery start to move. “There are two basic types of blooms: sugar blooms and fat bloomssaid Jason Vishnefske, owner and co-founder of the Santa Barbara Chocolate factory in California.
Fat bloom occurs when the cocoa butter migrates to the surface of the chocolate “due to heat, exposure to light or improper handling” and appears in the typical white color. The sugar bloom “it is achieved by storing the candy in a humid environment, or by removing it from a refrigerator and exposing it to moist air.“
The chocolate bloom is harmless, although the dessert can have a chalky or gritty mouthfeel. To revive food to the color we all know, Vishnefske’s advice is to melt it, perhaps in the microwave, so as to enjoy excellent (and safe) liquid chocolate.