Vegemite Illegal

[mybackpages 0]

Does anyone know why folic acid can be added legally only to breads and cereals?

I do not think the FDA limits folate (folic acid) only to grains, but I could be wrong. I understood vegemite was banned because the FDA claims the levels of folate are too high and could be a health risk.

[Jenn! 918]

Does anyone know why folic acid can be added legally only to breads and cereals?

I do not think the FDA limits folate (folic acid) only to grains, but I could be wrong. I understood vegemite was banned because the FDA claims the levels of folate are too high and could be a health risk.

According to the article in the OP:

"The Aussie staple contains folate, which can only be added to breads and cereals, according to News Ltd newspapers.

Kraft spokeswoman Joanna Scott told the Sunday Times: "The (US) Food and Drug Administration does not allow the import of Vegemite, simply because the recipe does have the addition of folic acid.''

[mybackpages 0]

Does anyone know why folic acid can be added legally only to breads and cereals?

I do not think the FDA limits folate (folic acid) only to grains, but I could be wrong. I understood vegemite was banned because the FDA claims the levels of folate are too high and could be a health risk.

According to the article in the OP:

"The Aussie staple contains folate, which can only be added to breads and cereals, according to News Ltd newspapers.

Kraft spokeswoman Joanna Scott told the Sunday Times: "The (US) Food and Drug Administration does not allow the import of Vegemite, simply because the recipe does have the addition of folic acid.''

yes i am a little confused but I am thinking that the rule is not a specific ban on adding it to other foods, but the result of a technicality of the implementation of the law.

High levels of folate can mask symptoms of deficiency of one form of B12 vitamin, but otherwise is completely harmless and a very healthy supplement.

I guess it was said best in an earlier post - FDA = Food nazis

[Jenn! 918]

I guess it was said best in an earlier post - FDA = Food nazis

Seems like it!

[aussiewench 9]

Did a little search on vegemite and came up with this site. It gave me a chuckle as I read through their introduction to vegemite lol

http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/vegemite/vegemite.html

Edited October 23, 2006 by aussiewench

[CarolineM 0]

when does this take effect?? we buy it at a little aussie store here.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Does anyone know why folic acid can be added legally only to breads and cereals?

I do not think the FDA limits folate (folic acid) only to grains, but I could be wrong. I understood vegemite was banned because the FDA claims the levels of folate are too high and could be a health risk.

Uh, no such thing as "too high" on water-soluble vitamins (such as folate).

They're just on power-kick since banning trans-fat in NYC.

I guess one could always make a trip to Canada to buy some (if you know where to find it)

Edited October 23, 2006 by CherryXS

[Reba 2]

I don't particularly like vegemite myself, but an ouright ban of it for having a vitimin in it is kinda stupid.

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in food. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and added to fortified foods [1].

Folate gets its name from the Latin word "folium" for leaf. A key observation of researcher Lucy Wills nearly 70 years ago led to the identification of folate as the nutrient needed to prevent the anemia of pregnancy. Dr. Wills demonstrated that the anemia could be corrected by a yeast extract. Folate was identified as the corrective substance in yeast extract in the late 1930s, and was extracted from spinach leaves in 1941.

why don't they just ban spinach?...oh waitaminit...hmmm

Conspiracy theory anyone?

[Mags 112]

Anyone who has ever eaten Vegemite (or Marmite even, both are similar) will know that you use it sparingly. You ain't going to stick a spoon in and gobble the whole jar at once (well, okay some of you addicts might! ). In fact, a whole jar can last months. I fail to see how you could consume dangerous amounts of folate through that.

Just the men in suits yet again getting their jollies from banning stuff.

Edited October 23, 2006 by mags

[Savanphil 3]

It came to the attention of many Americans through the lyrics of Men At Work's 1982 song "Down Under", which mention "a vegemite sandwich".

That's where I first heard of it

[Aussielad 37]

when does this take effect?? we buy it at a little aussie store here.

they have a little aussie store there??? is it owned by aussies??? ...are the prices an absolute rip-off??

[CarolineM 0]

they have a little aussie store there??? is it owned by aussies??? ...are the prices an absolute rip-off??

yes, yes and yes

[heishe 2]

Okay people, listen. Vegemite was banned because the FDA regulates imported food and Kraft did not file for the proper perrmit. That's all. It's not some crazy irrational regulation. It's Kraft not wanting to waste time on a product that doesn't sell.

"It appears Kraft didn't submit processing information for a low acid food. A search of the FDA points out that US manufacturers have to submit safety information forms for similar products. This is just Kraft being lazy for a product that doesn't sell well in the US and dumb australians making a story off a wikipedia quote (saying that it is banned because of a folic acid product technicality) - not the real reason that the manufacturing process must be approved by the FDA. Yeast is a fungus that with improper handling could cause sickness. Not a dumb FDA, but a badly researched sensational article."

And here is the judgement from the FDA explaining the ban. Kraft just has to explain the manufacturing process and ASK to be allowed to import Vegemite and then it won't be banned.

[lynny 0]

I just ordered some vegemite online, also got my kids to send me some, Now to see if it gets here or stopped at customs

CANT LIVE without my vegemite

[almaty 19]

aussies and their vegemite..sheesh....