In: Biology
why is it rare to hear about foodborne disease outbreaks from the consumption of candy bars
Food poisoning happens when people consume food that is contaminated with harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses or toxins.Food poisoning is typically the result of microbial growth on the food.Chocolate doesn’t have water in it, and bacteria needs water to be active and cause harm. That means bacteria can’t survive in chocolate, hence chocolate products do not come with a use-by date. Even if the chocolate has changed in colour or if blooms appear, it is still safe to eat without risking food poisoning.
The high sugar content tends to make things keep by stopping microbial growth.If bacterial contamination has occurred during manufacture, that may remain. The cells don’t grow but some can survive.
So the point is, lack of adequate amout of water,aeration,mobility and also beacuse of hyperosmotic and hypertonic conditions microbes would struggle to survive. And chocolate does not have a use-by date it just has a best before date. This means it is safe to eat after the best before date has passed.