The tricky case of candy expiration

Around the holidays, it’s natural for parents to go through old candy and decide whether certain pieces are “still good.” However, sugary treats offer a complicated puzzle when it comes to expirations, one that can impact the way producers design their candy labels for the season because candy doesn’t have a standard dating system.

The length of the product’s life depends on its ingredients, and because items like candy bars can contain lots of different components, some parts of it could age differently than others. While your company might not have to put any strict instructions concerning this on the label, you may want to consider other ways to alert the consumer.

In a Slate article from 2011, Forrest Wickman addresses the difficulty of determining when expiration occurs, factoring in the chemical changes that occur over time. Although this piece is about Halloween candy in particular, it could have similar repercussions for other holidays, especially with several sweets-heavy seasons on the horizon.

“Pure chocolate can last for two years or more without presenting any acute health risks, but it’s likely to change in texture and become less appetizing after about 12 months,” Wickman writes. “Given enough time, some bars could even become so dry and hard as to be inedible (or at least a danger to your teeth).”

Candy labels should be accurate and durable, so they survive the season night and are still enjoyable later. Candy companies can use a printer calibrated for food and beverage labels to print the best possible pieces for direct application onto the product.