Is it safe to eat 20 year old candy? The sweet science behind candy expiration

We‘ve all been there – stumbling on an ancient pack of Skittles or slightly dusty chocolate bars while cleaning out old boxes and wondering, can I still eat this? I‘m Parker, your resident gaming candy expert here to analyze the sweet science behind candy expiration dates!

The Short Answer

TLDR: Yes, 20 year old candy stored properly is likely technically safe to eat, but will almost certainly taste bad.

Experts caution food kept that long carries higher risk of microbial spoilage. However, the high sugar and low moisture content of most candies inhibits bacteria growth. Still, best practice is to toss anything over 2 years old.

Diving Into the Details

Now, let‘s RPG our way through the fuller analysis! We‘ll level up on how different candies age and nerd out over shelf life data to decide once and for all: should you eat 20 year old candy? 🍬

Overview: How Risky is Old Candy Anyway?

I know what you‘re thinking…how dangerous can some stale Twizzlers really be? Well, according to food safety experts, the risks depend on storage and signs of spoilage. 🥼

• Microbiology risk: Bacteria and mold growth requires water content above 0.85 a_w – but most candies are below this threshold. However, risk increases over time, especially if stored improperly.
• Storage conditions: Cool, dark pantry preserves best. Heat and humidity accelerates spoilage. If wrapper is compromised, shelf life also reduced.
• Signs to toss: Mold, smell, odd texture, weird appearance means do not eat! (More on this later 👀)

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions food kept outside proper conditions for over 6 months enters the "don‘t bother risking it" zone. But let‘s level up our analysis…

Hard Candy

Our neglected candy likely falls into the hard candy category – things like lollipops, Jolly Ranchers, or Werther‘s Originals.

• Shelf life: 1 year at room temperature; indefinitely refrigerated
• Storage: Cool, dry location; airtight container best
• Spoilage signs: Sugar crystallization, dried out, mold, odd smell/taste

The low moisture content in hard candies creates an microbiology unfriendly environment. But over time flavor compounds and texture suffers.

So a 20 year old hard candy likely won‘t make you sick…but will probably taste like sugary plastic. 👎

Chocolate Bars

Perhaps an old forgotten Halloween chocolate stash? Well, cocoa‘s coll preservatives bode well, though milk content impacts duration.

• Dark chocolate
  • Shelf life: 2-4 years
  • Storage: Cool, dark place
  • Spoilage: Bloom formation (still safe)
• Milk/white chocolate
  • Shelf life: 10 months – 1 year
  • Storage: Cool, dark place
  • Spoilage: Rancid smell/taste

The cacao in darker chocolate bars over 20% is naturally antibacterial. The added dairy in milk/white chocolate means shorter shelf life.

So a 20 year old chocolate bar would be risky business – sticking to the dark side gives you the best odds. But the taste would certainly suffer!

The Candy Shelf Life Breakdown

Here‘s a quick data table summarizing shelf life for optimal storage conditions:

Identifying Spoiled Candy

So if you dare to sample found vintage candy, inspect closely and watch for these red flags of spoilage: 🔻

• Visible mold spots
• Crystallization – grainy or gritty texture
• Smells rancid or odd
• Discoloration
• Weird taste (more sour or bitterness)

Finding any of these? Toss it! No treat is worth the stomachache (or worse). 🤢

The Verdict

While the sugar content and low moisture of candies helps preservation, 20 years is still pushing it. Storage conditions also play a role.

So theoretically that vintage candy might not actually make you sick…but likely won‘t taste great either after 2 decades.

For optimal safety and quality, best practice is to toss anything over 1-2 years old. No candy‘s worth an icky tummy! But with good inspection and bravery, a small taste of very old candy probably won‘t kill you… though the aftermath may feel that way. 😵

And there you have it folks – the sweet science behind 20 year old candy! Hopefully you feel informed on candy shelf life going forward. Till next time questers! 🍬🎮