Woman buys chocolate bar from corner shop and is horrified when she opens packet

A woman got an unwanted surprise after unwrapping a bar of chocolate and urged people to avoid buying the same thing – but it seems she may have made a mistake with the product

A woman was horrified after buying a chocolate bar from a corner shop and opening it to find it was an unexpected colour which left her “disappointed”. The woman picked up a bar of Maltesers Teasers from her local corner shop and when she opened it, it was covered in a white film – but when she shared a video of the discovery, people were quick to point out her error.

One woman, named Holly, was “disappointed” after opening her Teasers bar and spotting it was covered in a chalky, white film. She shared a video of the offending confectionery on TikTok, where she zoomed in on the chocolate and added the words: “Your sign not to buy chocolate from the corner shop”.

In the caption accompanying the clip, she wrote: “Disappointed is an understatement…”

Fellow social media users were keen to share their thoughts, with many pointing out this wasn’t a sign of anything untoward at all and is a phenomenon known as chocolate bloom.

Chocolate bloom is likely something you’ve seen before. It’s a whitish-grey coating which appears on the surface of chocolate – and it’s completely harmless.

It’s caused by fluctuations in temperature and humidity which then impacts the fat – the ‘fat bloom’ – or the sugar – the ‘sugar bloom’ – content. This then alters the texture and appearance of the chocolate but doesn’t affect its safety or edibility.

Fat bloom happens when cocoa butter melts, separates, and then re-solidifies on the surface, while sugar bloom is caused by moisture dissolving the sugar on the surface, which then crystallises upon evaporation. Despite it not ruining or affecting the chocolate, the process can be prevented by storing chocolate in a cool, dry place away from extreme temperature changes.

One TikTok user commented: “This is just the fats and sugar risen to the surface it’s called chocolate bloom, perfectly safe to eat”.

Another said: “I would still eat it, [I don’t care]” while a third said: “It’s only down to how it was stored, it’s perfectly fine”.

Someone else stated: “[I don’t care] what chocolate bloom is, I’m not eating that.”

In agreement, another shared: “Y’all talking about ‘it’s just chocolate bloom’ like that makes anyone wanna eat it more?? It still looks nasty”.

In a follow up comment, Holly added: “I know it’s harmless and not mold but it just smells awful and it completely put me off it”.

Maltesers are a firm favourite up and down the country. Originally created in 1936 by Forrest Mars Sr, they went on to be sold to the masses one year later. A sweet, small sphere; Maltesers are crafted from honeycomb that’s then coated in a thick, creamy layer of milk chocolate.

The treat derives its distinctive malt flavour – and name – from its famed honeycomb centre. Initially, they were marketed as “energy balls” and came in a box.

According to the brand’s website, there are a total of 187 million Maltesers treats sold each year in the UK, which equates to “six products every second”. There’s an array of spin-off chocolate products featuring the beloved and enduring flavours, including the popular Maltesers Teasers bar.

This sweet treat features “crunchy miniature honeycomb pieces floating in creamy milk chocolate but instead in the form of a chocolate bar”.