‘What is bloomed chocolate?’: Woman buys Hershey’s bar so she can make s’mores. Then she opens the packaging and can’t believe her eyes

When one buys a product from a store, they generally (understandably) think that it will be perfectly fine to use as soon as they leave the store.

However, this isn’t always the case. Numerous internet users have alleged that they’ve accidentally purchased expired items from stores. In some cases, users have returned an expired item, only to see it back on sale on store shelves a few days later. 

Occasionally, a product can be in-date, but still have considerable issues. Such was the case when TikTok user @thefantasticfludds opened a new bar of Hershey’s chocolate, only to discover something unexpected.

What happened to this bar of Hershey’s chocolate?

In a video with over 4.3 million views, TikTokers Elaine and Chris show a bar of Hershey’s chocolate.

“We just bought this chocolate bar so we could make a s’more,” Elaine starts. “What is wrong with it?”

While Hershey’s chocolate bars are usually a dark brown color, this one appears to be a whitish, with a rough texture that exposes some darker brown parts underneath.

“And it’s not expired,” the TikToker clarifies. 

Why does chocolate turn white?

While the TikTokers may have been taken aback by this discovery, this is actually fairly normal. This is something called “blooming,” and it can happen relatively easily.

According to Lake Champlain Chocolates, two kinds of blooming can occur in chocolate: sugar blooming and fat blooming. 

Sugar bloom occurs when chocolate is exposed to high humidity or condensation, causing the sugars in the chocolate to absorb moisture, rise to the surface, and re-crystallize into a grainy, dusty layer on the surface of the bar.

Fat bloom, in contrast, results from temperature fluctuations that cause the cocoa butter or other fats within the chocolate to melt, separate, and migrate to the surface, leaving a whitish-gray, greasy residue on the surface of the chocolate and giving the bar a crumbly texture.

It’s unclear what occurred here. In general, sugar bloom is caused by moisture coming into contact with the chocolate, while fat bloom is caused by changes in temperature. For example, if a chocolate bar has been warmed, then frozen.

While the chocolate may look unappetizing, it is perfectly safe to eat. However, the texture of the chocolate may be more powdery and crumbly than what one is used to.

@thefantasticfludds #fypage #tiktokk #trend @Hershey’s ♬ original sound - thefantasticfludds

Some viewers knew the answer

In the comments section, some users explained the process of blooming chocolate, while others simply made jokes about the situation.

“It’s giving CHALKolate,” a user joked.

“Worked at/managed a candy story with my partner who’s a chocolatier, it’s just bloomed. It started to melt and then got cooled too quickly so it separated a little,” noted another. “It’s totally safe to eat.”

“Tbh bloomed chocolate bars tastes better then actual chocolates,” claimed a third.

The Daily Dot reached out to The Hershey Company via media contact form and the TikTokers via TikTok comment and direct message.

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