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Can chocolate go bad? Yes (!) What to know before sharing Valentine's Day treats

Can chocolate go bad? Yes (!) What to know before sharing Valentine's Day treats

USA Today14-02-2025

Can chocolate go bad? Yes (!) What to know before sharing Valentine's Day treats
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An expert explains the health benefits of eating chocolate
Sometimes having a sweet tooth can be good! Nutrition therapist Lauren Kelly explains some of the health benefits of eating chocolate.
A chocolate bar hates to see Valentine's Day coming.
The holiday is responsible for roughly $4 billion in chocolate and candy sales annually, according to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Think Hershey's Kisses and pink-colored M&Ms to chocolate-covered strawberries and gourmet chocolate boxes.
Whether you're making a chocolatey treat, giving a loved one a box of chocolates or planning on enjoying some yourself, dietitian Jamie Nadeau, RD, shares some tips on how to make sure your Valentine's Day chocolate intake doesn't make you (love) sick.
Cute: I searched the country for a Valentine's date. Here's who I picked.
Can chocolate go bad?
The short answer is yes, chocolate can go bad.
The long answer is that it depends on a number of factors, including the type of chocolate and how it's stored, Nadeau explains. In general, dark chocolate usually lasts longer than milk chocolate because it doesn't contain milk.
"Most chocolate can last anywhere between one to two years, but it depends, so I recommend taking a peek at the expiration date and storing it properly," Nadeau says. "It should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place away from heat and sunlight."
Is candy a healthy Valentine's snack? Experts share how to have a healthy holiday.
How can you tell if chocolate has gone bad?
Many solid forms of chocolate can still be safely eaten up to six months past the best buy date on their label, Nadeau says, adding that "many expiration dates refer to optimal quality versus the food actually going bad right on that date." In other words, eating something like chocolate past its "best by" date usually just means it won't taste as good, not that it'll make you sick.
But if the chocolate in question has a "rancid smell," noticeable mold on top or a sour taste, that should be your sign to toss it out. Literal death by chocolate isn't necessarily something to worry about, but Nadeau notes that "just like other types of spoiled food, you can get food poisoning or gastrointestinal upset by eating chocolate that isn't good anymore."

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Multiple Sclerosis Market to Grow Rapidly at a CAGR of 3.8% During the Forecast Period (2025-2034)
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Multiple Sclerosis Market to Grow Rapidly at a CAGR of 3.8% During the Forecast Period (2025-2034)

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America might finally make childbirth free—and moms could be the biggest winners
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Especially if you have private insurance and have ever been slammed with a delivery bill. You can find contact info at and Share your story. Lawmakers have said constituent birth bill stories played a big role in shaping this legislation. Talk about it on social. If your childbirth costs shocked you, say so. Use hashtags like #MakeBirthFree and tag your reps. This moment is historic not just because it's bipartisan, but because it signals a new kind of family policy thinking: one where moms aren't expected to 'figure it out' in isolation, one giant bill at a time. As Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute put it in a policy brief, 'Substantively and symbolically, bringing the out-of-pocket health care costs of childbirth to zero is an ambitious but achievable starting point for the next generation of pro-family policies.' Whether you're pregnant now or years past it, you probably remember your hospital bill—and you definitely remember how it made you feel. Exhausted. Angry. Maybe even ashamed. This new bill says: No more. And moms deserve that. Sources: Family-Friendly Policies for the 119th Congress. February 2025. AEI. Family-Friendly Policies for the 119th Congress. America might finally make childbirth free. May 2025. Vox. America might finally make childbirth free. Americans United for Life Applauds Bipartisan Innovative Policy Proposal. May 2025. America United for Life. Americans United for Life Applauds Bipartisan Innovative Policy Proposal to Make Maternal Healthcare More Affordable. AMA advocacy to improve maternal health. May 2025. AMA. AMA advocacy to improve maternal health. Impact of removing cost sharing. 2019. BMC Public Health. Impact of removing cost sharing under the affordable care act (ACA) on mammography and pap test use. New bipartisan proposal would remove childbirth costs. May 2025. Niskanen Center. New bipartisan proposal would remove childbirth costs and confusion for parents. Characteristics of Mothers by Source of Payment for the Delivery. May 2023. CDC. Characteristics of Mothers by Source of Payment for the Delivery: United States, 2021. About the Affordable Care Act. Us Department of Health an Human Services. About the Affordable Care Act. Out-of-pocket medical bills childbirth. National Library of Medicine. Out-of-pocket medical bills from first childbirth and subsequent childbearing. The Association of Childbirth with Medical Debt. National Library of Medicine. The Association of Childbirth with Medical Debt in the USA, 2019–2020. Sentators introduce bill to ease financial burden of pregnancy. Cindy Hyde-Smith. SENATORS INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO EASE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH. Women who Give Birth Incur Nearly $19,000 in Additional Health Costs. KFF. Women who Give Birth Incur Nearly $19,000 in Additional Health Costs, Including $2,854 More that They Pay Out of Pocket.

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