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Here's Why Your Chocolate Turns White (P.S. Don't Throw it Out!)

You’re unwrapping your favorite chocolate bar when all of a sudden, surprise! It has turned…white? Read ahead to find out why your chocolate bar forms that unique, dusty film. (Spoiler alert, it’s still safe to eat!)

chocolate turns white mypanier blog

This white film does not mean the chocolate is moldy or has gone bad. It’s actually just a scientific process called chocolate bloom.  There are two types of this bloom: sugar bloom and fat bloom.

Sugar bloom happens when moisture comes in contact with the chocolate - it dissolves the sugar crystals on the chocolate’s surface, leaving a white, powdery look.

Fat bloom occurs due to improper storing conditions, dramatic changes in temperature, or a poor tempering process. This bloom will give the chocolate a powdery, white-gray appearance and leave the bar soft in texture.

mypanier chocolate turns white shipping conditions storage

While all chocolatiers do their best to avoid this bloom, many do not have much control over the shipping conditions once the chocolates are on their way to the customers. The box may stay overnight in the carrier's warehouse where temperatures rise and fall dramatically, causing a bloom to occur.

Overall, it should be noted that chocolate bloom is not harmful to your health, hooray! You can carry on eating your well-deserved sweet. If the chocolate doesn’t taste up-to-par, it is still perfectly good to use for cooking or making hot cocoa.

Compartes Chocolate

Thinking of melting your bloomed chocolate? Use some our handcrafted chocolate bars made by artisanal chocolatiers from around the world!

Compartes Century City, Los Angeles


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Comments

Bonnie - October 21, 2020

Can chocolate left in a hot car “bloom” and have that white film over it? I always thought when it had that white on it that it was old chocolate.

myPanier - August 20, 2020

Christina – the chocolate can’t be “retempered” exactly but you can definitely try a few hacks to make it better! Try using a basting brush with cocoa butter to cover the chocolate and get rid of the white on top. Or melting the chocolate, stirring it, then molding it to bring the sugar or fat back into the mix. Let us know if you try these :)

Christina - August 20, 2020

Can bloomed chocolate be retempered?

Charlotte - July 30, 2020

When I find chocolates slightly turning white,
I just melt them and enjoy the tasty treat !
You just cannot throw out this good chocolate !!

CM

Molly's Mum - July 29, 2020

It’s good to know that chocolate can still be eaten when it’s showing signs of ‘bloom’. I have been lucky (I think) enough to have been given half a dozen boxes of green and blacks sample chocolate bars,various flavours and milk, white and dark chocolate, they’re like sample bars,miniature ones. I’ve had quite a few and not been ill and they’re more than a yr out of date. Yum,I’ve got enough to last me several.wks maybe months and it’s good to know I can be safe. Thanks.

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