A white coating on chocolate or candies is not evidence of the product being curdled, but rather a sign of its quality, experts said. They called the “graying” of chocolate a safe phenomenon, Ukr.Media reports.
This coating is called graying in the food industry. In fact, it is fat that comes out of the fat phase of the product. For example, in a chocolate bar, graying is formed due to the recrystallization of cocoa butter, experts said.
According to them, the most common reason for chocolate turning “gray” is non-compliance with storage conditions. For example, if it was stored in the manufacturer's warehouse in accordance with the standards, and during transportation it ended up in a warmer or colder environment, and then ended up on the store counter, then the “temperature swing” causes the fat phase to become activated.
Experts added that it is chocolate made with cocoa butter, which serves as an indicator of product quality, that “grows gray.” Substitutes use just cocoa, so they retain their color regardless of temperature changes.
The optimal conditions for storing chocolate are a temperature of 15 to 22 degrees and a humidity of no more than 65%. Chocolate melts in the sun, near radiators and other heat sources. Because chocolate likes to absorb foreign odors, it is better to store it in an airtight container after opening the package.
