Chocolate is an ingredient that does not spoil easily. In fact, it can last a very long time. If you look at the back of the packet of your chocolate, you will see that the best before date will be years ahead of its cooking date. Therefore, it leaves us wondering: what happens if you eat expired chocolate?
<!–googleoff: index–>Hey there! This site is reader-supported and I earn commissions if you purchase products from retailers after clicking on a link from this site.<!–googleon: index–>
In this article we will explore if you can eat expired milk chocolate and expired non-milk chocolate. We will also explore what might happen if you do decide to eat either expired chocolate and expired non-milk chocolate.
Table of Contents
- Can You Eat Expired Chocolate
- Can You Get Sick From Eating Old Chocolate
- What Are The Side Effects Of Eating Expired Chocolate?
- How Long Can You Eat Chocolate After The Expiration Date?
- Can Old Chocolate Give You Diarrhea?
- Can Chocolate Mold
- How Do You Know If Chocolate Is Bad?
- Expired Chocolate FAQs
- Expired Chocolate Will Not Cause You Serious Harm
Can You Eat Expired Chocolate
We would recommend that you do not eat expired milk chocolate. There is always a risk that any expired food could make you unwell. So expired milk or non-milk chocolate could make you unwell.
If you eat expired pure dark chocolate that does not contain any dairy products such as milk, there is less of a chance that you can get unwell.
Expired milk chocolate or expired non-milk chocolate will not taste very nice. The ingredients would have started to go off, therefore they will not be worth eating.
Although, even though expired milk chocolate or expired non-milk chocolate will not taste very nice, it is not poisonous and therefore will not seriously harm you.
Can You Get Sick From Eating Old Chocolate
Can expired chocolate make you sick? The honest answer is not really. But there is always a risk!
If you have chocolate that has just expired and it has been stored carefully, having no access to water or moist conditions, it will most likely be fine to eat.
If the chocolate does not show any signs of turning bad then it most likely will not make you sick if you eat it.
What Are The Side Effects Of Eating Expired Chocolate?
If you do decide to eat chocolate that has expired you should not have a severe reaction like you would with other types of food poisoning.
If you do feel any symptoms, you are likely to have an upset stomach. Most people believe that it is safe to eat chocolate past its expiration date but only if the chocolate has not changed in smell or taste. Chocolate will be okay to eat after its expiration date if it shows no signs of turning bad.
How Long Can You Eat Chocolate After The Expiration Date?
There are a lot of different types of chocolate out on the market which all have their own individual shelf life.
Dark chocolate has the longest shelf life as it does not contain any dairy products in.
If you are wanting to eat chocolate after it has expired then dark chocolate may be the best choice. It does not contain any dairy in it and therefore may not make you as sick.
Still, we do not recommend eating any food after the expiration date. There is the possibility it can make you feel unwell and cause health problems.
Can Old Chocolate Give You Diarrhea?
Chocolate itself can cause many people to have gut problems and can cause symptoms like pain, cramping, bloating, gas and, yes, diarrhea. This can be the case especially if you have irritable bowel syndrome or if you are lactose intolerant.
Therefore, if chocolate already triggers these symptoms for you, even if chocolate only triggers them milady, it is best to avoid expired chocolate.
Can Chocolate Mold
No, chocolate can not grow mold even if it has expired.
If your chocolate has expired it will not taste good or look good. White stuff can grow on it, but this is actually not mold. It is sugar or fat bloom coming out of the chocolate. But it will not start to grow mold.
How Do You Know If Chocolate Is Bad?
You will know if your chocolate has turned bad and expired if you notice changes in the appearance, texture and smell. If you taste your chocolate and you can taste an off flavor then this is a sign that your chocolate has expired and you should not eat it. Another sign to look out for is if your chocolate starts to taste waxy. If your chocolate has started to taste waxy, this could eb assign it has expired.
Expired Chocolate FAQs
What Happens If You Eat Expired Milk Chocolate?
Expired milk chocolate will not be poisonous but it might not taste very nice. Therefore expired milk chocolate will most likely not be worth eating. If you do eat expired milk chocolate you may end up with an upset stomach but most likely will not have a stronger reaction than an upset stomach.
What Happens If You Eat Expired Chocolate While Pregnant?
It is not wise to eat food that could put your body under stress if you are pregnant. Try to avoid any expired foods if you are with child, including expired chocolate.
Can You Eat Chocolate 2 Years Out Of Date
There will be an expiry date on the back of your chocolate bar packet that you have purchased at the supermarket. This expiry date is normally around 2 years after the product has been made. Even though the expiry date states that you can eat chocolate two years after the chocolate was made, you may actually be able to eat chocolate three years after the chocolate was made. Your chocolate can last up to three years if it is stored properly.
Can Expired Chocolate Give You Diarrhea?
If you eat chocolate that has expired then you won’t have a bad reaction to it as it will not cause too much stress on the body. That being said, if the chocolate has expired for a long time it may start growing harmful bacteria. This harmful bacteria can cause food poisoning which can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. If you know that your chocolate has expired, it is best to throw it away.
Can Expired Chocolate Kill You?
No, expired chocolate will not kill you. Expired chocolate will not taste very nice. But it will not kill you as it is not poisonous. If you do taste your chocolate and realize that it tastes off, do not worry. You will not be in any serious harm and do not need to worry about consuming a little bit of spoiled chocolate. Simply discard of the rest of the chocolate.
Expired Chocolate Will Not Cause You Serious Harm
Unlike other expired foods, expired chocolate will not cause you serious harm!
Chocolate is a very long lasting ingredient and is an ingredient that can not grow mold, meaning it is less likely to affect your body badly if you do consume it when it has expired.
We would not recommend eating expired chocolate as it will not taste very nice. Certain ingredients, especially in milk chocolate, still has the risk of making you unwell.
Related Articles:
Baking Chocolate Vs Dark Chocolate – Which is Better?Expired Sour Cream: How to Spot and Avoid Spoiled ProductCan You Eat An Overripe Avocado? ANSWEREDWhy Does Lactose Free Milk Last Longer? ANSWEREDSea Moss GUIDE: How Long Does Sea Moss Last? Does It Expire or Go Bad?
