Yahoo News FSA warns AGAINST eating jam with mould on top after Theresa May tells minister she does it
Theresa May’s bizarre practice of scraping mould off jam rather than binning it is not something hygiene chiefs recommend.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the Prime Minister told Cabinet on Tuesday that she did not throw away mouldy jam, but scrapes away the bad bits and carries on eating the rest of the jar.
During a Cabinet discussion on how to cut food waste, Mrs May apparently told colleagues that the preserve left once mould was removed was ‘perfectly edible’ and said consumers should use ‘common sense’ to work out whether the whole jar needed to be dumped.
However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) – who are responsible for protecting public health in relation to food – have warned that it has potentially harmful repercussions.
The agency confirmed to Yahoo News that some species of mould can produce toxins that are known to have adverse effects in humans as well as in animals.
They warn: ‘It is advised not to eat food that is obviously rotten or containing mould due to potential risks from the mould.
MORE: CCTV footage shows final journey of Derby pensioner who died after brutal mugging as attacker faces jail
MORE: ‘I don’t regret it’: Pregnant British schoolgirl who fled London to join Islamic State wants to return to UK
‘This advice is especially important for people in vulnerable groups, which includes children, the elderly, pregnant women and those who have a weakened immune system.’
They added that while it is possible that removing the mould and a significant amount of the surrounding product could remove any unseen toxins that are present, ‘there is no guarantee that doing so would remove them all’.
The PM’s official spokesman was wary of giving advice to voters on their kitchen habits.
When asked by reporters whether the PM thought people should follow her example, the spokesman said: ‘That is a matter for the individual.’
A spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn said that mould was never an issue for the famously jam-loving Labour leader, who makes his own jam with fruit from his allotment.
‘Jeremy’s love of both making and consuming jam is well-known, and as such he personally never gets to the point of scraping or chucking mould,’ said the spokesman.
