Needless to say, our expat Australian community is outraged.
Nevertheless, the article linked above states that
What interest does the FDA have in keeping folate (folic acid) out of products other than breads and cereals? Is it a health issue, or an economic one? Or is it just an unexpected result of the minutiae of federal food guidelines?
Link to a page with links to several more articles and message board threads about the topic.
Nice cite. Why not just use that effort to push B-12 consumption amongst the elderly (who for the most part are no strangers to multi suppliment daily dosings of all sorts) instead of blocking a product that most likely isn’t eaten in any measureable amount by the nursing home set?
I call shennanigans.
One potent source of folate (and other B vitamins) is yeast extract, which is found in many prepared foods that aren’t “breads and cereals” (e.g. canned beef stew) Those who strictly avoid MSG know this well, because YE contains free glutamate (as does essentially any hydrolyzed protein, regardless of source) yielding MSg in the present of salt. Furteh the primary use of vegemite is as *an additive to bread and cereal foods! (It’s not -I hope-- eaten by itself. <Gag>)
According to a Jan 2006 OASIS [Operational and Administrative System for Import Support] list on FDA.gov, only Kraft vegemite from the UK should not be imported because “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 “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)”. A note on the Jan list suggests that they may have decided that it didn’t need that certification aftr all. Still, the manufacturer is Kraft UK, who could rattle off the required report in no time; vegemite production probably just involves standard Kraft processes.
[And it appears the mater was quickly resolved. This Feb OASIS list doesn’t list UK Kraft vegemite, but does list vegemite from Nisaway, Ltd, because it used coloring agents that aren’t approved for food inthe US, and didn’t meet some labelling requirements. I’m sorry that I can’t seem to find the current list (I’m waiting for a meeting to start) but I’me sure someone here dig it up uising their search engine, and the vegemite listings Ive found seem routine import requirements to me – unlike some of the items on those lists, which are reportedly filthy or unwholesome. I’ll be shopping the canned goods at my local oriental market more carefully in the future! I always wondered about some of those things]
I would guess that this is nothing but a smirking blogosphere explosion, based on misinterpretations and officials misspeaking. No one want to wreck a good story.
Oddly, vegemite is a vegetable extract, and , as I understand it, the FDA may have to presumptively permit it as as a natural/alternative medicine “dietary supplements”, if it made claims if healthfulness (but not claims of specific medical benefit such as treatment of a specific medical condition – that’s a no-no). That was a side effect of one of the Clinton Administration Health care reforms (I am not making a political point. I just can’t recall the name of law, and am trying to place it in a context for those whose memopries are sharper this morning) The FDA would have MUCH less authority to regulate them as a dietary suplement, unles they were SHOWN to actually be harmful. The burden of proof is reversed.
Aussie Pride ™ Vegemite – take once in the morning, with food, or more as needed.
Right. It’s a blog explosion and now a UL. The FDA does not now or has ever “banned vegemite”.
If you think the FDA has, I welcome you to cite an Official USA .gov site that sez so.
This site sells all things Australian, including Vegemite (currently out of stock, but more on the way), and they are located in Arkansas.
Is it true? Is it true?
<<prepares to do the “happy little vegemite” dance>>
Hm. If true, my premature hoarding of the substance has resulted in approximately 47 lbs. of the stuff being obtained unnecessarily.
Oh well, in 5 years it’ll be used up. 3 and a half, tops, if I break out the vegemite recipe book again.
Lord ha’mercy!! An actual 'merkin who likes Vegemite! I thought it was kind of a ritual for all of you, upon first taste, to gag and loudly proclaim colourful disgust. Unless… Qadgop, you’re not ONE OF US, are you? Did Vegemite put a rose in every cheek when you were a nipper?
He’s the real thing, an honest-to-god American - and not even of Aussie descent - who likes the stuff. We’re both from the same area, and I can wager that the only exposure to Vegemite that the locals have had was from that Men at Work song.
Good God – there’s a recipe book for this glop?
Why are the ads at the bottom of the page for Insomnia?
I’d only heard about it from that “men at work” song, then read about it. An english friend of mine suggested I might like Marmite when I told her of my love for salty beef drippings. But it wasn’t until about 6 or 7 years ago that I discovered my love of vegemite when a friend who grew up in australia acceded to my request to ‘get me some’ when she visited her folks. She brought a teeny-tiny jar back for me, which to me tasted like heaven on earth!
Mrs. Mercotan got me the vegemite cook book the first time she got me a 2.5 kilo bucket of the stuff.
Mrs. Mercotan got me the vegemite cook book the first time she got me a 2.5 kilo bucket of the stuff.
[/QUOTE]
Jay-sus! 2.5 kg! There’s so much sodium in that you must fizz when you have a bath! Your blood pressure is probably in quadruple digits. Mrs Prosequi has seen such vats in hospital for bulk Vegemite sandwich making, but not elsewhere. You have a very hardcore habit goin’ there. (Half-measures? We don’ need no steenkin’ half-measures!)
Snopes says it ain’t so.
I emailed the FDA, and just got this response:
So it appears that while folates may not be an issue, the importation of Vegemite might be held up for other reasons.
