How do you know if chocolate has gone bad?

Chocolate’s expiration date is really just an indicator of when its quality will start to decline. But if it looks, smells and tastes normal, you’re in the clear. Cracks or dots on the chocolate may signal it’s a bit stale and has seen better days.

What causes chocolate to go bad i.e.food poisoning?

Chocolate typically has insufficient water to support microbial growth, so it’s never going to spoil in a way that would cause food poisoning. However, it does contain fats that will oxidize over time, something we call rancidity. Given time, chocolate can go rancid, though the process is slow.

Can you get theobromine poisoning from eating chocolate?

Serious poisoning happens more frequently in domestic animals, which metabolize theobromine much more slowly than humans, and can easily consume enough chocolate to cause poisoning.

How can you tell if chocolate is safe to eat?

If kept dry for an extended period, the surface will undergo an oxidation resulting is a slightly whitish appearance, called “bloom”, but it is harmless, and the chocolate will taste OK. It is one of the safest foods. “Does chocolate cause food-borne illness?” Very rarely, but it has happened.

What foods are most likely to cause theobromine poisoning?

Theobromine poisoning, also informally called chocolate poisoning, is an overdosage reaction to the xanthine alkaloid theobromine, found in chocolate, tea, cola beverages, and some other foods. Median lethal ( LD 50 ) doses of theobromine have only been published for cats, dogs, [2] rats, and mice; these differ by a factor of 6 across species.

What are the symptoms of a Chocolate Overdose?

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning include: Vomiting. Diarrhoea. Excessive thirst. Panting/ rapid breathing. Rapid or slow heart rate.

Why do chocolate kill dogs?

The reason chocolate is toxic to dogs is because it contains theobromine, a xanthine compound related to caffeine that is toxic to dogs. Dark chocolates are even more dangerous for dogs to consume because this type of chocolate is much higher in theobromines.

How much cacao should I eat?

Cacao is very powerful on the central nervous system and over-indulging can interfere with calcium retention. Don’t consume more than 40 grams (or four to six heaped teaspoons) of raw cacao a day, and like anything, enjoy in moderation.

How fast will chocolate kill a dog?

Turns out the legitimate answer to how long it takes before chocolate can start to really kill a dog, is around 6 hours.