The Secrets of Chocolate making
A pale white film: flaw or natural phenomenon?
Sometimes, a perfectly wrapped chocolate bar develops a whitish film on its surface. This phenomenon, known as “fat bloom”, is common and natural, but often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean the chocolate has expired. Instead, it signals an issue with crystallization or storage.
What Is Fat Bloom?
Fat bloom is the migration of cocoa butter to the surface of a chocolate bar.
When cocoa butter is poorly crystallized or unstable, it separates from the chocolate mass and slowly rises, forming a matte, whitish layer, sometimes slightly greasy to the touch.
This alters the appearance, and sometimes the texture, of the chocolate, but has no health impact: the product remains perfectly safe to eat.
What Causes Fat Bloom?
There are three main causes of fat bloom:
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Poor tempering
Tempering is the technical step that ensures cocoa butter crystallizes in a stable form. Improper tempering creates unstable crystal forms (such as form IV or V) that gradually migrate to the surface over time.
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Temperature shocks
Sudden temperature changes (during shipping, storage, or retail exposure to heat) disrupt the cocoa butter crystal structure. This causes partial fat migration and bloom formation.
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Inadequate storage
An overly warm, humid, or poorly ventilated environment accelerates the phenomenon.
Even properly tempered chocolate can bloom if stored improperly after purchase.
What About Sugar Bloom?
There’s another type of whitening called “sugar bloom”:
It occurs when moisture condenses on the chocolate surface, dissolving a thin layer of sugar. As it dries, it leaves behind a rough, white coating, less greasy than fat bloom, but equally unaesthetic.
Orfève’s Approach
At Orfève, every bar is precisely tempered in a humidity-controlled environment.
But once in your hands, chocolate becomes vulnerable to its environment:
Avoid cabinets near ovens, refrigerators that are too cold, or damp rooms.
So if your bar turns white, it’s not about freshness, it’s a sign of internal migration. A reminder that chocolate is a living, sensitive, and demanding material.