Why is Vegemite banned in the US?

Question

Why is Vegemite banned in the US?

Answer 1

Its not banned, it is available in the USA, in an australian store in LA I'll see if I can find the name of the store

Answer 2

It isn't, just very few like after they try it. You can get it at LAX at the gift shop someytimes

Answer 3

There is no ban. The product is available in some US supermarkets. It's a matter of supply & demand...if there's not much demand...there's not much supply.

I found this on-line:

"...US toasts Vegemite ban claim.."

Australians travelling to the US can breathe easy. So can the 100,000 or so Australian expatriates living in America.

The US Government today dismissed media reports it had banned Vegemite.

"There is no ban on Vegemite," said US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokesman Mike Herndon.

Media reports at the weekend claimed American border officials were confiscating Vegemite from Australians as they entered the US.

The FDA, charged with policing America's food supply, has not issued an "import alert" to border officials to halt the import of Vegemite.

Herndon said the FDA was surprised by the media reports.

The controversy centres on folate, an ingredient in Vegemite.

Under US regulations, folate can be added only to breads and cereals.

"One of the Vitamin B components (in Vegemite) is folate," Herndon explained.

"In and of itself, it's not a violation. If they're adding folate to it, boosting it up, technically it would be a violation.

"But the FDA has not targeted it and I don't think we intend to target Vegemite simply because of that."

Joanna Scott, spokesperson for Vegemite's maker, Kraft, reportedly has said, "The Food and Drug Administration doesn't allow the import of Vegemite simply because the recipe does have the addition of folic acid".

But Herndon said, "Nobody at the FDA has told them (Kraft) there is a ban".

To eradicate any grey areas or potential regulation breaches, Herndon said, Kraft could petition the FDA, something other food manufacturers have done.

While many Aussies living in the US rely on visiting Australian relatives and friends to bring them a jar or two of Vegemite from Australia, the product is available in some US supermarkets.

The price slapped on Vegemite, however, is tough to swallow.

A tiny, four ounce jar of Vegemite sells for around $US4.80 ($A6.33) in US supermarkets.

AAP...."

Answer 4

As of March 2006 Vegemite was banned by Bush because it is an actual yeast extract. You used to be able to get it in world stores etc. Now you can only get Marmite or Promite. They are similar but not the same. Vegemite goes through a different process and vegemite can be used for medicinal perposes as well as in ALOT of cooking. I use it for every stew I make here in Australia and it heals burns like no other. I tried to send vegemite to my in-laws in USA and it was sent back.

Answer 5

its not banned from the USA

its just that its an Australian product &

americans dont have it