A doctor has revealed the true nature of peculiar 'spores' found on ageing chocolate - unbelievably, it's not mould.
Whether it's Christmas, Easter or someone's birthday, chocolate is no doubt a go-to gift. However, if not consumed promptly, piles and piles can build at the home, perhaps seeming less appealing over time.
Nonetheless, Dr Karan Rajan, a lecturer at Sunderland University, now asserts that consuming old chocolate is perfectly safe, even if it develops an odd texture. The NHS professional demonstrated this by sharing a video of a mini Easter egg that looked rather strange on the inside.
Much like frogspawn, its bizarre texture was made up of little circles which seemed lighter and whiter than the caramel-coloured chocolate surrounding it. Taking to Instagram, he said (@drkaranrajan): "If your chocolate looks like this, should you throw it away?
"...Chocolate that looks like this is very safe to eat, but it might have a slightly different taste and maybe slightly less delicious."
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Dr Rajan believes the strange chocolate phenomenon could be one of two things. First, he drew to a process known as 'sugar bloom' which takes place when chocolate is exposed to moisture.
Even if minuscule, the water content will cause sugar to dissolve, before it recrystallises again when the moisture evaporates. This will encourage white grains to develop on the chocolate's surface, with texture never going back to the way it was before.
He continued: "Another possible explanation for this is fat bloom. This occurs when the cocoa butter in the chocolate - the fatty component - melts when exposed to higher temperatures. Eventually, when the chocolate cools down again, the fat will also recrystallise but again in a different form. So, this time you'll get a whitish layer on the chocolate surface."
Dr Rajan also stressed that it's unlikely to be insect eggs because creepy crawlies generally prefer perishable foods, like fruit and vegetables. He said: "They are less likely to be attracted to things like chocolate which usually have preservatives added to them.
"...All chocolate, if left long enough, will probably develop fat or sugar bloom. So, my advice would be, when you get your chocolate eat it quickly for science of course."
The NHS professional's take was quick to rack up plenty of comments on Instagram, with many still hesitant to eat older chocolate in spite of his advice. One person wrote: "Still going to bin it," as another chimed in: "That picture setting off anyone else's trypophobia?"
Someone else also added: "I had peanut butter jar with white chocolate such cream spread I didn't even open it for long time then I finally opened and surface looked exactly like in this first video, I thought its mould, I wrote to company to ask if this is still safe to eat, and they explained to me everything just like this guy in video."
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