When chocolate turns white is it bad?

Have you ever wondered why you occasionally run across chocolate that has turned white? Most likely, your first reaction was that it was rotten, old, or moldy. That is a natural reaction when you see a piece of chocolate that is supposed to be shiny and beautiful. Rest assured, it is not always the end of the world. It may still be ok to eat. 

The most common cause of chocolate that has a white appearance is improper tempering. The art of the Chocolatier is creating chocolate products that shine. Even the best chocolatiers have days when their chocolate is in a bad temper, which is why most chocolate shops have a "seconds, less than perfect or hurt" Trays out for sale at a discount. These chocolates are not bad, and they don't look as shiny and lustrous as the Chocolatier would like; therefore, they are a bargain. 

There are different types of badly tempered chocolate symptoms which include

• Fat Bloom
• Sugar Bloom 
• Dull Finish
• Streaky Finish
• Discoloration 
• White / Gray with a chalky texture

Now, if you find a chocolate bar or other mass-produced chocolate like Halloween candy that is white, it's a different story. Most of the time, this type of chocolate that is white in appearance is due to exposure to heat. The vending machine might have the sun shining on it every morning for an hour. The sun's heat might melt the chocolate just enough to alter the temper, and when it cools off, it turns white. Bulk chocolate in a big box store could have transported on a hot truck. It might have been stored in a hot warehouse. 

In the mass-produced scenario, We wouldn't eat it. In the chocolate shop that has a real chocolatier, we would be more than happy to save a buck on the hurt tray. 

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