why was vegemite banned in the usa?

[karyn]

from breaking news 24/7

There's no accounting for taste
October 21, 2006 12:00am

THE US has banned Vegemite, even to the point of searching Australians for jars of the spread when they enter the country.

The bizarre crackdown was prompted because Vegemite has been deemed illegal under US food laws.

The great Aussie icon - faithfully carried around the world by travellers from downunder - contains folate, which under a technicality, America allows to be added only to breads and cereals.

Australian expatriates in the US said enforcement of the ban had been gradually stepped up and was now ruining lifelong traditions of Vegemite on toast for breakfast.

Kraft spokeswoman Joanna Scott said: "The (US) Food and Drug Administration doesn't allow the import of Vegemite simply because the recipe does have the addition of folic acid.''

The US was "a minor market'' for Vegemite, she said.

[Toe Cutter]

Maybe it was on the verge of upsetting the natural balance of American breakfast food. Had it not been stopped it could have turned into a catalyst for the unraveling of breakfast and brunch as we know it... Thus spiraling into anarchy!

[VoltaireBlue]

vegemite is so nasty, it's "nas-tay"....

[Amelia G]

Isn't folic acid just a B vitamin or something? How could that be a problem?

On the other hand, here is a list of things I prefer to Vegemite for breakfast food: bacon, eggs, waffles, pancakes, flannel cakes, crepes, home fries, hash browns, hot cereal, cold cereal, toast, donuts, croissants, fruit, sausages . . . not that I actually generally have either Vegemite or any of those tasty carby treats.

[Cafe_Post_Mortem]

Folate is actually good for you to the point that the US enriches grain products with it. Personally I would rather a quick stab in the face for breakfast than vegimite, but the ban is likely just a technicality type thing that a better working agency could fix or amend.

[Lady Alias]

Huhn. Never even heard of it.

[TheQuietPlace]

It sounds wierd! Is it any good?

[Exquisite]

Vegimite and marmite are ... icky (yup thats the technical term) imho.

Folic Acid is one of the B vitamins and it is recommended of any woman who is thinking about getting pregnant to reduce the risks of spina bifida.

[Buster Friendly]

vegemite, and marmite are invaluable items in any stoner's first aid kits... if someone is freaking out on acid, or related compounds, and tablespoon of that stuff will bring 'em down like *THAT*...all the b12, and other b's n' shit.

huh, weird that they'd actually ban something that could STOP people from tripping...

...and yes, it tastes fucking aweful... about like it looks, which is like veggie vasaline...

[a_small_death]

I don't even remember what the hell vegimite is. sounds like a nice way of saying herbal colonic

[Kidthorazine]

vegemite is fucking nasty, and as for the trip thing, thats apparently psychosomatic, because i know several people who have treid that and it hasnt worked once, so we just keep antipsychotics around for that. But yeah, i dont get how people can eat that crap for anything.

[mmmcherry]

yeah ew... you can buy that shit in canada... why not in the US... thats kinda lame.
but yeah... thats your choice if you wanna eat something that smells like canned cat food mixed with soy sauce... *gag* i know some aussies that cant get enough of the shit. i know its healthy and all but... you know what... you can have healthy things that TASTE GOOD!!

[bohoki]

yea he just smiled and gave me a vegamite sandwich

mark my words mel gibson is going to be busted smuggling in a case some day

still on the quest for jaffa cakes