Marmalade/jam with mould on it

[seadogg]

Is the white mould patch which can form on jam likely to harm a person. We would throw the jar into the bin, but a neighbour with poor eyesight accidentally ate some and is worried in case it is going to harm her. Anyone know if it could.

[cupid04]

should keep in the fridge once opened and consume witinin about 2-3 weeks.

[cupid04]

Throw the mouldy one away and buy a new pot. Not wort getting ill over the
sake of about 80 pence!

[seadogg]

Agree cupid but the old lady has asked me if she is going to come to any harm if she had inadvertently eaten the stuff.

[Mamyalynne]

Presuming a small amount consumed, unlikely any great harm. Slight possibility of a dodgy tum for a day, but if in relative good health should be fine.

[mojay]

As a child I well remember that mould often formed - especially on home made jam. This was cheerfully scraped off with no hesitation and the jam duly eaten. There was no question of it being refrigerated as this was many years before we had a fridge.

[rockyracoon]

Any moons ago I was told that mould grows on jam because most people put the knife they've buttered the toast with into the pot and it's the butter that starts the mould off. Don't know how true it is, but I always use a separate knife or spoon to get the jam out and I get no mould.

[seadogg]

Thanks mamyalynne and mojay. I think she can be reassured that nothing bad is going to happen. Meanwhile we must get her a new jar. One or two elderly folk we know, living alone, have standards of hygiene which leave much to be desired.

[seadogg]

Good common sense rocky, thanks.

[cathfromsaron]

it would most likely just be digested! but if she is sick, she knows why!

[gingejbee]

rocky is spot-on: you should use a clean utensil to get jam etc out of a jar.

[jomifl]

Some moulds can produce toxins which can diffuse through the jam and contaminate all of it, not just the zone where the mould is. It is best to throw it away especially if it might be eaten by an elderly/old person.

[Ann]

I think we bother too much about germs and sell by dates etc these days. When i was little my Mum always scraped mould off jam and marmalade and threw just the spoonful of mould away - its perfectly ok underneath. We still do it these days and have never come to any harm. I also cut mouldy pieces off fresh raspberries (have you noticed they seem to go off so quickly recently?) I would never dream of throwing the whole punnet away - they are far too expensive!

[Ann]

What about bruises or maggotty bits on apples - would you throw the whole apple away?

[chas2008]

im with mojay & anne86, it was all part of growing up when i was a kid, never had a fridge until i was 8, just scrapped ithe mould off...similiar thing with mouldy cheese just cut it off...there was no such thing as sell by dates, basically if it tasted ok, it was ok...

[venator]

Mouldy cheese...

Penicillin...

[Ann]

Still cut mould off cheese too! That's what Stilton is!!

[jomifl]

Anne86, You can choose to eat dodgy food if you like, but you shouldn't recommend it to people who are elderly and not so resilient. Some moulds which grow on food such as dates produce afflotoxin which can permanently damage the liver. It's strange how people people who have died from food poisoning never give their side of the argument.

[tenrec]

I agree with Ann but do understand that elderly may not be so resiliant perhaps.