Can you eat chocolate 3 months out of date?
No, chocolate does not have a use-by date it just has a best before date. This means it is safe to eat after the best before date has passed.
Dark chocolate, with its higher cacao content, can be good to eat for as long as three years past the best before. Due to their high milk contents, milk and white chocolates might not last as long as dark, but their longevity is still nothing to sniff at — you can expect to get another 8 months or so out of it.
If the package is unopened, it can last for months past its expiration date if it's been stored at room temperature, or even longer if it's been in the fridge or freezer. Although it can be safe to eat months or even years after its best by date, you may notice differences in its taste or appearance.
You might be surprised to know that, despite the expiration date, chocolate stays edible and safe to eat for longer than what's indicated on the packaging. Chocolate bars last longer than other foods because there is no water activity in them, which means that there is no environment for bacterial growth.
As bacteria can't live in chocolate, chocolates don't have a use by date. Even if a bloom does appear, or your chocolate has a peculiar smell to it, it will still be safe to consume.
Although chocolate is delicious, it is not recommended for babies under two years of age as it contains refined sugars and caffeine, which could have negative effects on your baby (1).
Chocolate never truly “expires,” so nothing will happen if you eat it past the expiration date. As long as it's stored properly and not exhibiting any other signs of spoilage, most chocolate will remain edible and yummy up to two or three years past the listed date.
If you come across a piece that's unopened, it can stay fresh for up to one year. But if there are nuts or other ingredients involved (like with Snickers or Reese's), the candy is more prone to going bad at a quicker rate.
Chocolate can last a long time, she adds, but it often develops a white coating, known as the "bloom", when it's exposed to the air. This happens when some of the crystalline fat melts and rises to the top. It's not mould, she says, and it's fine to eat.
Fortunately, chocolate generally has a fairly long life. USA Today explains that, while chocolate bars can go bad, it's unlikely that you'll get sick from eating last year's chocolate easter bunny. Generally, when chocolate bars expire, it's due to additives like peanut butter, dairy, or caramel.
What happens if I eat expired chocolate?
Expired chocolate might not taste the best, but it's not poisonous. Try a small piece of your expired chocolate and if the chocolate taste very off, simply don't eat the rest. At worse, you might end up with an upset stomach, but that would be probably from the other ingredients, not from the chocolate itself.