When a chocolate bar turns pale after storage, what is the least intuitive but usually true verdict?

Answer: It is usually still edible

It is usually still edible ✓ — Correct. Bloom is often a surface rearrangement of fat or sugar rather than rot. Sources describe bloomed chocolate as safe, though texture and flavor can suffer. The payoff is that the white cast is more like a failed finish than a food-safety alarm.

It has probably gone moldy — This is the mold misconception. Bloom can look alarming, but cited sources distinguish it from spoilage and say bloomed chocolate is usually safe. The useful contrast is that humidity may cause sugar crystals on the surface without implying microbial growth.

Its cocoa has chemically spoiled — This confuses crystal arrangement with chemical breakdown. Cocoa-butter molecules need not change; their packing can change and make the surface look dull. The surprising point is that the same chocolate can look worse while remaining broadly usable.