FSM 309: The Dilemma: What to Do with Chocolate After Halloween

[music] I’m Susie Craig. Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute. Are you concerned about what to do with leftover chocolate candy from Halloween? From a food safety perspective, the risk of foodborne pathogens is very low because of a natural preservative in chocolate and low water activity which bacteria need to grow and multiply. Marlene Greiger of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach recommends storing chocolate in a cool, dry environment such as your pantry. Milk chocolate has a shelf life of a year, white chocolate six months. Placing chocolate in a refrigerator or freezer may lead to bloom. Though it doesn’t affect safety, “chocolate may appear dusted or streaked with grey on the surface.” Consider donating candy to a food bank, community buy-back programs, or organizations serving military service members. Call first! From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute. [music] Resources Greiger, Marlene. Chocolate – Shelf Life, Storage, and Bloom. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Answer Line. 11/7/23. https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2023/11/07/chocolate-shelf-life-storage-and-bloom/comment-page-1/#:~:text=STORAGE.%20The%20shelf%20life%20of%20chocolate%20is%20dependent%20upon. Accessed online 9/24/24. Koenig, Ronnie. Today – All Day. 10/3/23. https://www.today.com/parents/how-donate-halloween-candy-good-cause-t117994. Accessed online 9/24/24.