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# EXPIRATION DATE ON A CHOCOLATE BAR 
What is the ideal expiration date, 6, 9, 12 months or more? Thank you!
- URL: https://thechocolatelife.com/expiration-date-on-a-chocolate-bar-what-is-the-ideal-expiration-date-6-9-12-months-or-more-thank-you/
- Published: 2020-03-16T23:52:23.000Z
- Updated: 2021-01-10T19:26:48.000Z
- Author: The Archivist
- Tags: Ask TCL

EXPIRATION DATE ON A CHOCOLATE BAR  
What is the ideal expiration date, 6, 9, 12 months or more? Thank you!

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Archived Comments

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Comment by: DiscoverChoc

Posted on: Mar 18, 2020

There is no “ideal” expiration date. That said, in general, dark chocolate gets 18-24 months from the date of molding and milk chocolate gets 9-12 months.

This applies to solid chocolate bars.

If you have exposed inclusions such as nuts, nibs, or dehydrated or freeze-dried fruit, the expiration date will be determined by the inclusions, not the chocolate. I once got a bar made by Mast with exposed cashews in it. I remember that it had been made within two-three months of when I opened it, but the nuts were already rancid and moldy. That could have been because the nuts were already close to their best-by date and/or had not been handled well and/or the bar was not wrapped tightly enough to provide an environmental seal. Probably not the chocolate itself.