Well this IS a curious issue… and I’m not a happy little Vegemite!
America has decided to make its opinions quite clear about Australia's favourite black breakfast spread by banning its importation into the United States. I understand Vegemite is an acquired taste, but we Aussies can't resist the tasty yeasty properties of beer residue and this ban is preventing Aussie tourists from sharing this unique condiment with our American mates, not to mention the effect this crackdown is having at the breakfast table of our expatriates.
About Australia, a US-based store providing American consumers with traditional products from Down Under, was forced to stop importing Vegemite six months ago; however the product was actually limited to 113gram (4oz) jars in 2005. Expat Daniel Fogarty, now living in Canada, was recently searching for Vegemite while crossing the border on a trip to Montana. Other travelers have had their jars of Vegemite confiscated. This insult to our national iconic symbol is almost as un-Australian as politicians banning the word 'mate' in Parliament. Oh wait, that did happen.
So what's the big deal? What did Vegemite do to offend our brothers in arms? After all, it might be a little salty on the palate, but it's packed full of healthy stuff, in addition to that good ol' Aussie spirit!
At the bottom of this bizarre prohibition is the US Food and Drug Administration (of course), who say they disapprove of the addition of folate to anything other than bread or grain products such as flour and pasta. Hey, I don’t know what the FDA has been spreading their Vegemite on either, but spread on bread is what it's meant for!
Okay, time for the serious stuff. Exactly what is folate and why is it so bad?
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Vegemite is definitely "an acquired taste." We got some recently as a gift, presumably from someone who confused Australia with America and who thought all "anglos" eat alike. My youngest son acquired an immediate appetite for running to the toilet and chucking it up upon its consumption. We all tried the stuff, Poizonmyst, even our housecat, who conspicuously stayed away from the sample offered, but some tastes refuse to be acquired....
Eventually the street cats of Ma'aleh Levona got to sample the stuff. They're hungry and will eat almost anything. There were no reports from that feline population... None of us can meow in Hebrew.
2 - Kaylen
It's an outrage that vegemite is banned. Please consider signing my petition and help get our favourite Aussie icon unbanned.
WE ARE NOT HAPPY LITTLE VEGEMITES!!!!
3 - Sgt. Moneybags
Well you don't won't to put much on toast. It's VERY strong.
4 - jethru
The yanks are right on this.
Came to Oz in the 60's.
Love meat pies..great tucker
aussie beers..good stuff, and
aussie women..great fuck. Vegemite?
Yucks! Should be classified prohibitive
substance. No way to get your folate.
5 - PoizonMyst
Maybe its just in the genetics of our Aussie tastebuds to have a positive disposition towards Vegemite. We are trained, from our first slice of toast cut into "fingers", how to apply our Vegemite correctly so that it tastes mmmmm just right. I believe other cultures take to slathering it on like peanut butter when they first try Vegemite, which is an immediate turnoff. It must be applied sparingly, people - it takes many years of seasoned Vegemite experience before you can confidently eat it by the teaspoonful. Most of our kids are raised on the stuff - many wont eat anything else on their morning toast - so there must be something yummy about it.
Kraft have said that it's no great loss as the US is a "minor market" for Vegemite sales, but as I said, we Aussies are being deprived the opportunity to share this wonderful product with our American buddies, and that is a real shame - is it true that we will never get to see your cringing faces again when we serve you our fav snack?
6 - S.T.M
Poizon: I don't know whether you're living at home or "over there" .... but here's my favourite trick to play on American visitors to Australia (apart from the drop-bears gee-up):
Tell them this is our national spread, the Aussie eqivalent of peanut butter. Take some out of the jar on a spoon in front of them and swallow a bit as quickly as possible without actually getting the whole lot on your tongue. Say: "Mmm, geez that's good stuff. Try some."
Then offer them a fresh spoon with a dirty great glob of vegemite on it.
Watch the grimace as their faces turn purple and they grab their throats histrionically, rushing off on a mad dash for water. Cruel but fun and a salutary lesson (don't trust Australians to always do the right thing).
And as all Aussies know, and the FDA obviously doesn't, but all visitors soon discover, when using Vegemite a thin smear is best.
This is one case where less is always more.
7 - Glenda Bell
Banning vegemite in the US is ridiculous. Its a very strong tasting spread. Most Aussies would find it difficult to eat too much of it. If Americans have not aquired the taste for it, then what is the problem?
8 - S.T.M
"If Americans have not aquired the taste for it, then what is the problem?"
Australians living in the United States NEED it. So badly, Americans would never understand. A man (or woman) must have Vegemite. It's not about them, for once.
It's about US!!
9 - Mistress La Spliffe
Banning Vegemite is pure bullshit. Vegemite is good for you. So good American folate-cornering grain-producer lobbies have got the FDA to ban it. And the ban seems to have carried over, in terms of importation, to the Canadian market. The shops here have stopped stocking it and my household is making do with Marmite. If anyone knows where I can get some Vegemite in Toronto, please let me know. We're jonesing.
Oh, it makes me mad. As if Americans should get nasty about Vegemite when they're known internationally as the sickos who eat deep fried Twinkies.
10 - PoizonMyst
Glenda Bell #7: I don't think Aussies really want Americans to "aquire the taste for it" - if that happened, then how would we play pranks such as those suggested by S.T.M #6 - such social antics are tradition in themselves! Anyway, Im sure the US are a lot tougher than a spoonful of Vegemite -lets look at "Jackass" as an example ... I'm yet to see a Vegemite stunt from them, and most probably never will now. How unfortunate.
S.T.M #8: Youve got that right ... our poor Aussie expats being forceably weened from the Vegemite on which they were raised. I fear there is more to this ban than meets the tastebuds, so to say. Think border security. Think billions of biddy yeast bacteria. Think of a reason to search foreigners ... oops didnt mean to go there.
11 - PoizonMyst
So true Mistress La Spliffe #9 ... certainly a conspiracy theory in it's own right! It's possible the FDA regulations meant that folate HAD to be added to grain products, and the intention was never really to ban it from use in other foods. Of course, as logical and well intentioned as the FDA always is (please read sarcasm), some twit has simply reinterpreted the ruling to their own economic advantage.
12 - Agnieszka
This is yet another example of the Food and Drug Administration being overzealous about stupid things while at the same time not protecting Americans from actual dangerous drugs.
I've never been to Australia but I aquired the taste for Vegemite when I had some on a dare. I'm more a fan of Marmite (which as I look at the ingridients also has the forbidden folic acid), but I like both! Am I going to have to get black market yeast extract now?
Ridiculous and sad.
13 - MAOZ
When it comes to Stuff To Smear On Bread, I much prefer the Israeli choice: Chocolate spread! (I love this country!)
14 - Nancy
The FDA can't or won't do work on serious issues, so they work on bullshit like banning Vegemite. Rise up, all you Aussies (or anyone else who can stand it)! Have it mailed to you in bulk from Home! Serve it on toast at the Aussie Embassy & invite Bush; make sure he gets a whopping big helping ....
15 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
What MAOZ said.
All due respect you guys from Oz, I much prefer the chocolate spread (and the dentist bills that come with it) to Vegemite any day of the week.
I can cope with the idea of the water going down backwards in the toilet or the sink. After all, when I'm writing or reading in Hebrew I go from right to left and increasingly view left to right as the wrong direction. And I don't care what the weather is like for my holidays (as in NOT Christmas or Easter), so long as nobody cramps my style in celebrating them. Besides, they are all based on the weather patterns here.
But Vegemite is nasty - even in tiny thin little bits on bread. I tried it that way, too. Ground white horseradish is much much more to my taste. And boy, does it clear the sinuses!!
16 - Mistress La Spliffe
You know, in Australia you can get both Vegemite AND chocolate spread. Wow, eh? It's called a fucking free market.
17 - Nancy
BTW - why is Australia called "Oz"?
18 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Mistress la Spliffe,
You know what, we can get both here in Israel, too. Maybe the Americans can learn something about a free market from us, eh?
19 - Mistress La Spliffe
Maybe they can learn alot about the free market from lots of people around the world, Ruvy. The number of artificial controls on the market of capitalism's supposed ringleader . . . I bet they can't get Pocket Coffees either.
20 - Victor Lana
Remember the mention of "vegemitamin sandwich" in Men at Work's song "Who Can It Be Now?" Now what could be wrong with something that a man from Brussels who was six foot tall and full of muscles ate religiously?
Let's all have a Fosters and lighten up!
21 - Nancy
Didn't Lucille Ball have a pretty wonderful episode where she was selling "Vegemeatamin" or something close to it?
22 - Nancy
Didn't Lucille Ball have a pretty wonderful I Love Lucy episode where she was selling "Vegemeatamin" or something close to it?
23 - zingzing
Vitameatavegamin!
do you pop out at parties? are you unpoopular?
weeeellll, the answerrto all yer questions isin this bittlelottle... *hick*
total fucking classic!
24 - Dave Nalle
First Foie Gras, then horse meat, now Vegemite. What are they going to ban next, spam?
Dave
25 - Niels Olson
You need to redact the part about folate. This has nothing to do with whether or not it's good for you. That's not the issue. According to FDA,
Reason: NEEDS FCE
Section: 402(a)(4), 801(a)(3); ADULTERATION
Charge: It appears the manufacturer is not registered as a
low acid canned food or acidified food manufacturer pursuant
to 21 CFR 108.25(c)(1) or 108.35(c)(1).
and
Reason: NO PROCESS
Section: 402(a)(4), 801(a)(3); ADULTERATION
Charge: It appears that the manufacturer has not filed
information on its scheduled process as required by 21 CFR
108.25(c)(2) or 108.35(c)(2).
Looks like it's Kraft, not Uncle Sam, who's slacking here.