Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION:
Milk chocolate chips have turned a light brown, are they okay?
I have a bag of milk chocolate chips and some of them have turned light brown. The expiration date (on the package) has passed by several months. I will be melting them. Are they okay to use.
ANSWER:
Yes, your milk chocolate chips are okay and safe to eat...indefinitely. Despite the "mandatory expiration date", chocolate does not go bad in that it is unsafe to eat.
The discoloration or "bloom" you see is nothing more than the cocoa butter which has separated due to either age or improper storage (most likely in a too warm area). The fact that you are going to melt the chocolate means that this bloom will no longer exist because the cocoa butter will be re-incorporated. Only you will know it ever existed! The taste of the chocolate will be not be affected, either.
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