Canada bans Marmite

[Richard Farrant]

Some idiot probably thinks Penguin bars are made from an endangered species

Vegemite has disappeared of the shelves of my local supermarket, not sure why, but have had to resort to Marmite .......ughhh.

[Lynn Eades]

Richard, your Marmite is not like ours (Kiwi Marmite)
Kiwi Marmite is great!

[Mike Cecil]

ONLY TO A KIWI!!!!!

Mike C

[Mike Cecil]

Whereas Vegemite .... MMMMMMMM!!!!

Tried Vegemite on a few Americans: they think Australian mothers should be charged with child cruelty for giving it to their kids!!!

Lucky for me the local World Market has it from time to time, so with that, plus the occasional 'care package' from friends in Australia, I can keep supplied. Now Bundaberg Rum, however, is a whole different story. Just cannot get it here in the US of A.

Mike C

[Jon Skagfeld]

Hoard and hide your Tim Tams...they may be next!

[motto]

You have Tim Tams in Canada?
Good Lord, the place is more civilised than I thought!

The vital instruction with Vegemite is to use it sparingly. It may look a lot like axle grease but don't plaster it on in the same way. Very few people would appreciate the taste if consumed in a large dose.

David

[Mike Cecil]

And available here, too: does that mean that all of North America is more civilized than you thought, Dave?

They are marketed as 'Arnotts Originals', but they are Tim Tams, and available from World Market. Unlike Vegemite, our US friends do appreciate the taste (issued sparingly or not....)

Mike C

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally Posted by motto

You have Tim Tams in Canada?
Good Lord, the place is more civilised than I thought!

The vital instruction with Vegemite is to use it sparingly. It may look a lot like axle grease but don't plaster it on in the same way. Very few people would appreciate the taste if consumed in a large dose.

David

Yes, but only in British Columbia so far.

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Mike Cecil

Whereas Vegemite .... MMMMMMMM!!!!

Tried Vegemite on a few Americans:

Mike C

You should try it on Toast or a Sao biscuit instead, much tastier!

[Mike Cecil]

Very perceptive Tony! I had a good laugh, thank you! Great way to start the day.

Mike C

[Marc Montgomery]

Actually, in the original story, the Saskatoon shop owner had a Christmas shipment seized by Customs in Montreal..

Then it seems weeks later,(??) the CFIA visited the shop and pulled all kinds of things off the shelf...Ovaltine, Bovril, Marmite, Penguin Bars etc...and said they would test it and get back to him on their approval.

That's when the fertilizer hit the ventilation system with papers and media all over the UK, including the BBC loudly expressing shock.

Interestingly only the one Saskatoon shop was targetted, and of course when the news hit , lots of people rushed Brit specialty shops across Canada over the weekend to stock up on supplies before they too would be "pulled/banned".

CFIA had initially refused to comment to reporters on the seizure which allowed the story to get completely out of hand.
They responded on the weekend..so the "clarification" really didnt get much traction until Monday.

It seems the original shipment contained meat products made from British beef (perhaps the Bovril???) which is not allowed in Canada...and apparently the other stuff has formulas also not destined for the Cdn market.. Irn Bru has a red dye that is not approved here....or at least not in that shipment.

CFIA says there are Cdn approved formulas for the Marmite, Ovaltine, bovril etc.. and says those products will continue to be avialable

One reader of our website said the Canadian formula for Ovaltine is now made and supplied from Thailand.-- If true..that sure doesn't inspire confidence in me