# Does Candy Go Bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751 "2011-11-03T15:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/41 "2015-06-09T04:22:41Z")
**Homer** [Moans]: There’s gotta be something to eat in this house. [Santa’s Little Helper whines, sniffs] Hey, the dog smells something… Good boy!.. Good boy!.. Show us where the food is… Where? Over there? – Hey! – [SLH snarls, sniffs] Yoinck! _[?sic]_ My old lunch box. Oh, that Amos Burke made his own rules. [Hums…gasps] Very old animal crackers! Mmm… Mmm… [Blows off dust, chomps] **Marge** : Homer, no! Those were made in the '60s. **Homer** : Mmm…Turbulent. Excerpted (with my own edits) from [here](http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=the-simpsons&episode=s12e17), “Simpson Safari.” My originating bibliographic source: [a list of every Homer “Mmm…” and item.](http://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Mmm...) I actually remember this line from whenever the hell it was first on. I think of it whenever I debate cooking or eating bizarre archaelogical finds from my freezer. Thanks SD, for the Google Nudge.[sup]TM[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/42 "2015-06-09T17:53:09Z")
Here’s a panel that taste-tested decades-old candy bars, including your Reggie! bar, **TerpBE** , > **[Will Eating Decades-Old Athlete Candy Bars Kill You? A Taste Test](https://deadspin.com/will-eating-decades-old-athlete-candy-bars-kill-you-a-5984300)** > > "You're not going to eat it, are you?" the eBay seller asked, after we had completed our purchase. "People have been asking me if they can eat it, and that's probably not a good idea." ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/43 "2015-06-09T19:55:18Z")
I used to work in an office that had one of those “honor bar” boxes. It didn’t get changed very often, as we were not big candy eaters there and there weren’t a lot of us anyway, but I would get the occasional Snickers or Butterfinger bar. One day, long after we had moved to another office with no candy, I decided it had been a long time since I had a Snickers, so I bought one at Walgreens. And it was SO MUCH BETTER than the dried up things that were in the honor box. The stale ones didn’t make me sick or pull out my teeth or anything so I can’t say they “went bad.” But the fresh one was better. Much better. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/44 "2015-06-09T20:10:38Z")
I opened a 20 year old Mars bar from an ancient MRE once. It had turned so brittle that opening the package caused it to crumble into a pile of brown powder. I did not eat it. However, despite being a heap of powder and probably very stale, it didn’t look or smell like it would be dangerous to eat. It just didn’t look appetizing anymore. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/45 "2015-06-09T22:09:06Z")
Stuff will hatch from bars with poor quality fruits/nuts. One of the things which ruined my childhood was a Chunky bar with what I assume was a maggot writhing inside. Hey, maggots aren’t just for zombies. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/46 "2015-06-10T00:07:25Z")
Hershey’s is to chocolate as Red Delicious is to apples. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/47 "2015-06-10T07:04:55Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Hershey’s is to chocolate as Red Delicious is to apples. This opinion disqualifies your use of the word 'California" or any of its variants or derivatives to as either noun or adjective form to describe yourself. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/48 "2015-06-10T15:50:01Z")
It’s a printer’s term, in honor of my father who used to set type out of them. Just curious- do you like Red Delicious apples, Hershey bars or both? I suggest a Winesap and a Dove dark bar if you haven’t tried them. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/49 "2015-06-10T16:18:28Z")
With regards to the OP, I can in fact say that Candy is indeed going bad. [Cite.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7UvV-2C9BU) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751/50 "2015-06-10T16:43:01Z")
Circus peanuts are born bad… I love them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-candy-go-bad/601751.md?page=2)