A convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Victoria, Australia, is challenging a long-standing ban on prisoners consuming Vegemite, the iconic, salty spread widely considered a national symbol.
Authorities say the ban, in place since 2006, is necessary because inmates could use the strong-smelling paste to disguise contraband or brew alcohol behind bars.
But Andre McKechnie, 54, argues in court documents that the prohibition denies him the right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian.” McKechnie, sentenced to life for the stabbing death of a property developer in Queensland during the 1990s, served part of his sentence there before being transferred to Victoria.
In his lawsuit against Victoria’s Department of Justice and Corrections, McKechnie is seeking to have the Vegemite ban overturned. He also wants the court to declare that prison authorities “failed to provide food adequate to maintain [his] wellbeing.” The case is scheduled for trial next year, according to AP.
Vegemite, a thick, brown yeast-extract spread invented in Melbourne in 1923 as an alternative to Britain’s Marmite, is both beloved and divisive. Melbourne recently recognized the smell of Vegemite as a “significant” part of the city’s cultural heritage, while the spread’s polarizing taste has landed it in Sweden’s Disgusting Food Museum alongside stinky tofu, natto, and monkey brains.
The spread has also sparked international disputes, including in April this year when a Canadian cafe owner was told to remove jars of Vegemite from his shelves for allegedly violating local health regulations. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the decision “rather odd,” noting Canada allowed Marmite, a rival product, to be sold. The Canadian agency later reversed its decision, allowing the sale of Vegemite.
