British Prime Minister Theresa May Scrapes Mold Off Jam, Eats Rest Of Jam

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By  Gwen Ihnat

It's a big day, friends. Glad you're here. You may notice that at The Takeout, we all have certain "beats." Kate Bernot is our Beer Bureau Chief. Marnie Shure takes candy. And today, I have been designated the Bureau Chief Of Mold.

I know. It's a big honor, one I intend to take very seriously, obviously. I guess it's good to know things about things. So when it was reported this week that Theresa May suggests scraping the mold (or "mould") off of the top of a jar of jam to continue eating the rest of it, naturally, I was all over that action.

The BBC reports that May "reportedly told cabinet ministers she scrapes the mould off the fruit preserve rather than throw it away." This prompted a hella ton of jam-related jokes and headlines, like "putting the conserve in Conservative" and "a jarring statement."

The comment apparently came up in a conversation about food conservation, which Britains may be particularly sensitive to with Brexit-related food shortages possibly looming. "Let them eat the jam under the mold," though, is hardly an inspiring rallying cry. But is May right in this case?

As The Takeout's Bureau Chief Of Mold, I'm going to say: Maybe? Fortunately for us all, I recently finished a story about storing condiments, wherein I learned that while you don't have to refrigerate maple syrup, it may grow mold at the top. And you can just scrape the mold off the syrup at the top. Ergo, you should also be able to scrape the mold off of jam and eat it.

But, as some food safety experts even more knowledgeable than even I point out, the safety of said moldy jam may depend on the type of mold, as some are more dangerous than others. Says the Sydney Morning Herald, "If the mould is pale blue or white, it's less harmful. But if it's black, green, yellow or orange, say goodbye."

Your best bet is still to keep it all in the fridge—and keep an eye on expiration dates. So even though May says that scraping mold off jam and eating it is a thing I can do, even as Mold Bureau Chief, I'm still not certain it is a thing that I would do.

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