Buyer Beware: Valentine's Candy May Be From 2007
5 Of 6 Bags Purchased In NYC By CBS 2 HD Inedible; Worms Found Inside 'Big Kiss'

 Reporting

Kirstin Cole NEW YORK (CBS) ― Chocolate is one of the most popular Valentine's Day gifts, with more than $1 billion of it purchased just for that one romantic day alone. That chocolate may not be as sweet as you think however -- some stores seem to be recycling last year's sweets! 

 

You can't even go grocery shopping these days without seeing shelves stacked with heart-shaped boxes, sugar cookies covered in red sprinkles, or giant kiss after kiss of chocolate sweets for your sweetheart. 

 

Yet many of the desserts made especially for Valentine's Day might not look as nice on the inside as they do on the outside. There's a possibility that chocolate may be from old stock.

 

"It's something that should be glorious. It should have a luster to it. It should crack slightly when you bite it," said Brian Buckley of Manhattan's Institute of Culinary Education. 

 

CBS 2 HD did its own investigation, purchasing six bags of Valentine's Day treats at stores around New York City. Of those six bags, five were inedible. 

 

From the finest of truffles to candy bought in bulk, most of these products were expired and showed signs of improper storage, like melting and reshaping. Some of the chocolates had white dots or streaks, called a "bloom," which means the chocolate is stale. 

 

"I would not eat that and I would not advise anybody to. It's just disgusting," Buckley said after seeing the results. 

 

And though you won't get food poisoning, the rotten chocolate just may upset your stomach and certainly a romantic evening. 

 

"It's not saying 'I love you,' it's saying, 'Oops!'" Buckley said. 

 

Buckley was shocked that store shelves could be stacked with so much bad chocolate just days before the sweetest of holidays. 

 

And CBS 2 HD's investigation grew even more appalling. A luscious looking giant Hershey kiss we purchased had some secret admirers inside: an infestation of worms. 

 

CBS 2 HD went back to the store where it was purchased, Nut City on 2nd Avenue, to show the manager, who said they aren't responsible because the candy is purchased from another company. The store, however, did agree to take the rest off the shelves. 

 

Chocolate makers advise to check for expiration dates. Chocolate has about a year's shelf life. Still, many stores don't enforce expiration dates, so it's up to you. If the chocolate is sub-standard, take it back and demand a refund.