Did you know chocolates Bloom?

Well, not in the literal sense like flowers do, but chocolates have the tendency to sometimes discolour under varied temperatures, storage conditions, moisture exposure and sometimes even if the chocolates are not tempered correctly at the time of manufacture.

Growing up, you would most likely have seen some of your favourite chocolates sitting in the fridge, fully sealed in its original packaging but when you open it, there is a thin white layer of white that surrounds the dark chocolate like a cloud on a rainy day.

And how many times have you thought, “oh no - this has gone bad” or “yuck, its growing fungus” and thrown away your favourite chocolate that you have saved to savour, straight into the bin? What if we tell you that you may just have thrown out perfectly good chocolate, because you thought it had spoiled?
So what really is the white stuff on your chocolate and why does it happen?

This is a chocolate bloom. When your chocolate goes from warm to cold and back again, it can change the chocolates chemical structure. This happens because either the sugar or the cocoa butter and oils in the chocolate melts and separates from the rest of the chocolate and moves to the surface to form a semi crystallized or whitish layer over the surface.

There are 2 Types of Chocolate Bloom

Sugar Bloom : Can be characterized as a dry, hard white surface film on chocolate. Sugar bloom is caused by moisture in the chocolate coating. The sugar absorbs the moisture, dissolves, and evaporates. The sugar then forms larger crystals on the surface of the chocolate, which causes this dusty layer. While it affects the texture, it doesn’t make the chocolate inedible. You may be most familiar with this bloom as it occurs most on your åregular sugar laden chocolates, something like this:

Not likely to see this kind of bloom on the Caim chocolates as we are completely sugar free. So what could be the white stuff on the Caim chocolates?

Fat Bloom

Can be identified by greyish or whitish streaks on the surface of the chocolate that typically feels slick. This blooming happens when the chocolate has been exposed to warm temperatures. Once the chocolate is warm, the cocoa butter in the chocolate softens and separates from other ingredients in the chocolate. Once it rises to the surface and re-solidifies, it creates the bloom. Fat bloom is the most common type of chocolate blooming. The patterns look something like this:

Is bloomed chocolate safe to eat?

Absolutely! Don’t let good chocolate go to waste. Especially when you are so excited to eat it. It will taste exactly the same, though may have a different texture.

If the thought puts you off, scrape off the white layer with a butter knife and leave it in a covered box for a day - mold will grow back, but bloom is less likely to come back. Plus, there are many different ways you can use a bloomed chocolate. For one, you can melt down the chocolate in some milk and make a delicious hot chocolate!

Can Mold Grow on Chocolate?

There are very few chances for it to be actual mold on your chocolate. But be sure to check the packaging when you buy the chocolate because if it is kept in a humid, moldy place, it can get to your chocolate and stay there. But if you bought a bar of perfectly fine chocolate like those sold by Caim, it should not grow mold.

Mold is not the same as chocolate bloom, so it’s important to know the difference. Mold is a fungus that grows on food and can harm your health. Fungus need air, moisture and heat to thrive and grow in colonies. Some fat blooms can easily be mistaken for mold and sometimes fungus spores may still be on your foods but yet not visible to the naked eye. Here is a quick test you can run to see if your chocolate is safe:

  1. Appearance - Mold typically appears as fuzzy patches with irregular shapes and colors, such as green, gray, or black. Bloom appears as a whitish or grayish film or streaks on the chocolate's surface
  2. Smell - Mold often has a musty or unpleasant odor, while chocolate affected by bloom typically retains its normal aroma.
  3. Rancid taste - similar to oils that have gone bad
  4. Grey/Black and green patches of fuzz over the chocolate - definitely throw these out
  5. Texture - Mold feels fuzzy or slimy to the touch, while bloom feels dry and powdery.

Can the Caim chocolates grow mold?

That would be a hard NO. And here’s why:

  1. Mold needs Oxygen to thrive - when we pack our chocolates, we use a nitrogen flush to push out the air (containing oxygen) from the wrappers replacing it with nitrogen, before they are packed - So NO OXYGEN
  2. Mold needs Moisture to grow - Our chocolates are made and maintained in absolutely sterile and humidity free conditions, and we take utmost care in ensuring that the temperature is maintained during each process of production - So NO MOISTURE

Here are some tips to protect your chocolates?

  1. Use Airtight containers - like the ones Caim provides with their Rekindle Range of chocolates. They are not only airtight, but reusable, microwave, freezer safe and dishwasher friendly
  2. Or Vacuum-sealed bags - not practical, unless you are storing them in your fridge and this helps keep the fridge smells out
  3. Resealable plastic bags - traditional ziplocks work as well - make sure you burp the bag before sealing it shut
  4. Glass or plastic jars that have tight-sealing lids
  5. Aluminum foil - these work too but keep them low on your list

By choosing the right container, storing your chocolate properly and keeping it away from extreme temperatures, you can make sure it stays fresh for a longer time.