The Real Reason Former Prime Minister Theresa May Eats Moldy Jam

For something that is supposed to protect the lifespan of the foods we hold so dear, refrigerators are frequently dark places crammed with rotting lettuce, green cheese, and long-forgotten healthy eating experiments.

Of course, fridges themselves are only partly to blame for the deaths of so many potentially delicious products — as usual, humans must shoulder the responsibility for being so reckless when it comes to managing food. Beautiful food would never disintegrate into disgusting specimens if we all cared a little bit more about the scraps and slices left behind.

To inspire more people to love their leftover food, powerful and influential people need to get behind the cause. Although she might not have quite the same level of authority or credibility as she once did, former U.K. prime minister Theresa May is perhaps the scraps savior kitchens have been waiting for. Even though she may not be the most inspiring choice, she does have vital experience: According to the BBC, Theresa May indulges the hairy wonders of moldy jam.

We have all heard of breaking the mold, but surely Theresa May's love of eating moldy jam is a step too far? The Independent explained that the politician's comments were made during a meeting of her government to discuss how to reduce food waste. In position as prime minister at the time, May reportedly claimed that she simply scrapes the mold off the top of gone-off jam and eats the contents underneath, adding that the public should use "common sense" when deciding if a foodstuff is edible or not.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service notes that molds are a type of fungi that commonly present on jelly-like substances (such as jam) as furry growths. It also makes clear that some molds can be dangerous, leaking poisonous substances into the body if eaten. To avoid any uncertainty, Insider clarifies the view of mold experts as being that moldy jam should be thrown out as soon as it is identified.

Lunch at May's house now seems a decidedly unattractive prospect — but, rather worryingly, her culinary exploits appear to stretch much further than her tantalizingly toxic jams. Great British Chefs reports that May owns in excess of 150 cookbooks, putting her in the top 2% of the U.K. for recipe book ownership.