Americans ban vegemite

[KiwiCoromandel]

Kiwis planning to go on their OE, be warned: Your beloved Vegemite might be confiscated if you travel to the United States.

An Australian has revealed that US border security police questioned him recently on suspicion of carrying Vegemite into the country.

The yeasty spread is banned because it contains folate, which in the US can be added only to bread and other grain products such as cereal.

Daniel Fogarty told the Geelong Advertiser that he was amazed when he and his partner Sarah Egan, who live in Canada, were asked if they had any Vegemite at a border crossing between the two countries.

"We were completely shocked. Normally Sarah wouldn't travel far without Vegemite but for some reason we didn't have it."

A spokeswoman for Kraft Foods in Australia told the Herald last night that the rule was "very annoying".

"Australians love Vegemite, but only a small number of people in the US actually eat it."

She said the company had stopped exporting Vegemite to the US in the past year, but wasn't sure how long Vegemite had been banned in the US.

"We have to respect the regulations and that means we can't export it to the US."

There was no issue with the safety of Vegemite. A folate-free variety was "a nice idea" but impractical given how few people in the US ate it.

Paul Watkins, who owns a shop selling Australian goods in San Antonio, Texas, told the Sunday Mail he had been forced to stop importing Vegemite six months ago.

Three companies in the US selling Australian goods online were yesterday still advertising Vegemite on their websites.

Folate, a B vitamin, plays a critical role in cell division, prevents birth defects and cuts heart disease.

source:AP

image:AP:VEGEMITE..a "no-no" in the USA..

[method77]

read about that. What the hell is that?

[rainbowdemon]

Nasty stuff!!

[DudeAsInCool]

read about that. What the hell is that?

Had an Australian roommate once--he had to special order it to get past the agricultural regulations--that stuff is nasty!

[slum_goddess]

is this stuff like MArmite, which all my friends love? *puke*

[DudeAsInCool]

is this stuff like MArmite, which all my friends love? *puke*

yep

[slum_goddess]

trying to be a real Brit, that's one of the first things i bought from the supermarket. i came home and opened it up, smelt it and almost puked. a year later i gave it to Alma who gobbled it up in front of me as i taunted her, lol.

[KiwiCoromandel]

i`ve heard some aussies use the stuff if there`s no vaseline available.....

[Excrement_Cranium]

I heard it reffered to once as "Slightly tastier than toe jam."

[KiwiCoromandel]

actually..a vegemite sandwich with lettuce, tomatoe and luncheon sausage (baloney in the USA)..is very tasty...try vegemite and avocado....very nice.... :)

History of Vegemite......

In 1922, Fred Walker (1884-1935) of Melbourne, Australia decided to try to make a special "yeast extract" that would be as delicious as it was nourishing for his Fred Walker Cheese Company to sell. The chief scientist in the company Fred owned was Dr. Cyril P. Callister, and it was Dr. Callister who invented the first Vegemite spread. He used brewer's yeast and blended the yeast extract with ingredients like celery, onion, salt, and a few secret ingredients to make this paste. In 1912, a national competition and a prize of 50 pounds was offered to the winner or winners to name the new product.. The name ‘Vegemite’ was finally chosen from the entries by Fred’s daughter Sheilah .

With its unusual and unique flavor, Vegemite was not an immediate success and sales were slow. In 1928 Vegemite was renamed and registered as Parwill in an attempt to boost its sales and to attract customers of the rival spread Marmite (an English yeast spread that dominated the Australian market sinc 1910). "If Marmite...then Parwill" was the rationale behind Walker's strategy to carve a niche in the market for his spread. The name Parwill and Walker's play on words didn't catch on. It was only sold as Parwill for a short time in Queensland. The name was withdrawn in 1935, and the original name was reinstated.

Earlier, in 1925, Walker had arranged with the Chicago, Illinois firm of James L. Kraft to make processed cheese in Australia. A company called the Kraft Walker Cheese Co. was established alongside Fred Walker and Co. In 1935, Walker used the success of his processed cheese to launch a new campaign to revive Vegemite. The company launched 2-year coupon redemption scheme whereby a jar of Vegemite was given away with every purchase of other products in the Fred Walker Cheese Company. Australians tried the product and loved it. Vegemite was well and truly on the road to success.

Two years later, the company held a poetry competition and once again brought Vegemite into the national spotlight. This time its success the prizes were imported American Pontiac cars. Entries flooded in and sales multiplied.

In 1935, the recipe and manufacturing methods was sold to Kraft Foods and has been wholly owned and made by American companies. In 1939 Vegemite received endorsement from the British Medical Association which allowed doctors to recommend it as a Vitamin B-rich, nutritionally balanced food for patients.

In World War II, soldiers, sailors, and the civilian population of Australia all had Vegemite included in their rations. Soldiers’ Vegemite came in three sizes: seven-pound tins for the platoon, eight-ounce tins for soldiers on the go, and half-ounce rations for behind enemy lines. This war-time demand meant that civilian were limited. Hence, advertisements were run to explain the situation: “Vegemite fights with the men up north! If you are one of those who don’t need Vegemite medicinally, then thousands of invalids are asking you to deny yourself of it for the time being.”

The main change to the original recipe in recent years has been to reduce the salt content from 10% to 8%...