Despite a lack of historical connection with Halloween, Australians are predicted to spend $450m on the holiday this year, with 38% of participants forking out for lollies and confectionery for trick or treaters, according to recent data from Roy Morgan.
Dentists recommend allowing children to eat their Halloween sweets in one day, or at one time (in moderation). But some children – and indeed, some grownups – may be playing the long game about how to make their Halloween haul stretch out for the coming months.
Lollies are for ever – almost
Confectionery typically has a long shelf life as it often contains stabilisers and high sugar levels. If properly stored, hard candies last indefinitely, while jelly beans will last for 10 months.
If there are no specific storage instructions on the packet, Lydia Buchtmann, the chief executive of health promotion charity the Food Safety Information Council, recommends keeping items in an airtight container and storing in a cool, dry place such as the pantry.
She also says to look at the use by or best before dates on packaging and to “use your common sense”.
Confectionery is generally still safe to eat past its best before date, though it may taste dry or stale. To ensure your treats still taste sweet, she recommends “doing what the supermarkets do” by placing newer items at the back and older items at the front.
Lollies that contain sugars such as sucrose and fructose are prone to moisture-related damage, leading to stickiness, according to Dr Jayani Chandrapala, an associate professor of food science at RMIT University.
But even if their taste and texture are compromised, she says, sugar-based lollies are safe to consume after their expiry date as they tend to contain less water, limiting growth of bacteria.
Dark chocolate lasts longer than milk
When it comes to chocolate, Buchtmann recommends storing chocolate in the fridge so it doesn’t melt, but says freezing would affect its taste.
The Sydney chocolatier Alice Tieu from Silver Street Chocolate says chocolate with a lower dairy content typically has a longer shelf life. Dark chocolate has a shelf life of up to two years, whereas chocolate containing milk can last for up to a year.
Chocolates sold in supermarkets also typically contain stabilisers such as lecithin, which could prolong their shelf life.
What about ‘streaky’ chocolate?
Tieu, however, recommends storing chocolates in airtight packaging, ideally at a temperature from 10C to 16C (although practically, a dark and cool environment like a pantry will do) and in a low-humidity environment to prevent chocolate from “blooming”.
Blooming – when white streaks appear on the chocolate – can be caused by cocoa butter melting and separating from other ingredients, or sugar absorbing moisture and evaporating, forming crystals on the chocolate’s surface. While bloomed chocolate might not taste as good as the day it was handed out on Halloween, it’s still safe to eat.
