Canada bans Marmite

[Bruce MacMillan]

Canadian Food Inspection Agency has banned the sale of Marmite, Irn-Bru & Penguin bars. I wonder what planet these people are from.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskat...ucts-1.2506864

What's next? Vegemite?

[hrpearce]

Slow day at the office so someone had to justify their employment.

[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.

[motto]

No Mike, I could imagine the Americans having them even if only available from the World Market store/s? Or Kwikee Mart?
It's another thing altogether to picture a brawny lumberjack sitting on a stump knee deep in snow savouring a chocolate covered delight but maybe I'm caught up in stereotypes. I'm not exactly a bronzed Anzac myself.
BC is the only part of Canada I've visited so far and I liked it very much.
Dave

[Richard Farrant]

Talk of Vegemite reminds me of a TV series the Scots comedian, Bill Connolly did on a tour of Australia. Billy commented on how he tried Vegemite and was hooked on it "and had it every day of his bloody life!". He once asked an American lady to taste it, her reaction was to say "it is like licking a cat's @rse", to which Billy said, "now how would she know that?"

[Phil Waterman]

Hi All

For those of us who live in Marmite or Vegemite deprived areas, what do they taste like?

Did a web search on this topic and found a lot of responses such as

"Marmite has a slightly strong salty flavor. It is a brownish vegetable with a toxic odor. It is taken by the British. Its ingredients include: vegetable extracts.one of the best "

Then found this description that people who have never even either on the store shelves may find funny and those who eat regularly will probably say what the heck is this person talking about. Before going to the web page be warned it is a Houston, Texas point of view. http://hungryinhouston.com/2012/11/1...n-perspective/

You think having Marmite being banded is a problem the US is facing a Velveeta shortage right before the American Football Supper Bowel. What no cheese dip.

Cheers Phil

[Little Jo]

Hi Guys

Every kid in Australia was bought up on good old vegemite. You Aussie guys will recall the advert with the kid with rosy cheeks leading the parade. We used to take a jar of our own vegemite with us when we travelled overseas, had some interesting discussions with custom officers who were convinced it was a sort of grease and when we sampled it and invited them to try it we had no takers.

Nothing like vegemite on toast or a toasted cheese and vegemite sandwich in the morning. Yummy!!!

Cheers

Tony

[Richard Farrant]

Marmite have interesting advertising campaigns about how people hate it, but it must work as it sells well.
Here is one advert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSp5mrz17Ok

[Lynn Eades]

Being close to Aussie, N.Zers have always (nearly) had both.
Vegemite is described as being a "concentrated yeast extract", while Marmite is a "yeast extract". What does that mean?
My sister is a Vegemite fan, and me, definately a Marmite person. The "nearly" related to the fact that the Marmite factory was in Christchurch and was damaged in the earthquake. This required the operation to be relocated and we were without it for about a year.
Promite and Bovril (spelling?)are similar products, but all are quite different. I was suprised to find that the British made marmite was quite different to the NZ made Marmite.
I tried to bring a jar of Marmite to Australia (and my daughter had a similar experience with peanut butter) Neither can be in your "carryon" luggage. Pack it in your main luggage if you want to keep it. Both are defined as liquid, and are confiscated.

The story with the peanut butter is that it was made in N.Z. by "Sanitarium"
(I think)
The operation was shifted to China, which generated a bit of public resistance. This led to the Australians making special Peanut butter for NZ consumption (It has no sugar in it, unlike Australian sold PNB.)

All friendly rivalry aside, it is hard to beat a bit of toast with Marmite or Vegemite (if that is your preference) with your cuppa in the morning.

Mike I am pleased for you that you have your Vegemite available to you.
I can just see Keith Webb doing a victory roll in support.

[Richard Farrant]

Lynn,
Bovril, although similar appearance, is actually a meat extract, it is in the name, "bovine". Marmite if I recall is a yeast by-product of the brewing industry. With out looking it up to check, I believe it was exported to Australia but during WW1 the supply stopped and hence how Vegemite came in to being to fill the gap.
Off to the supermarket now to ask why they do not stock Vegemite anymore

[Lynn Eades]

Richard, as rural kids the rumour machine had us all believing that Marmite and Vegemite were made from dead cows hooves. The dead cow truck used to come and pick up the blown up dead cows from the farm gates I don't think it put any of us off. Nowadays the reality of what is truly in processed food is much more scary.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Richard Farrant

Marmite if I recall is a yeast by-product of the brewing industry. With out looking it up to check, I believe it was exported to Australia but during WW1 the supply stopped and hence how Vegemite came in to being to fill the gap.

Correct re Marmite Richard, very close re Vegemite but there was actually an earlier product here:

[Darrell Zinck]

Marmite and Irn-Bru are not banned in Canada, agency says

British expats, you can relax. The Scottish soft drink favourite Irn-Bru and iconic spread Marmite are not banned for sale in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency clarified Saturday, after a shopkeeper made headlines in the U.K., claiming he had been ordered to stop selling the popular British products.

“These products have been available on Canadian store shelves for more than a decade and will continue to be sold in stores across Canada,” the CFIA said in a statement released Saturday.

“Recently, a shipment containing a number of products imported from the U.K. was detained in the course of regular border activities because it contained meat products that were not accompanied by the required documentation.”


The statement goes on to say that the rejected shipment contained other products, including the bright-orange, caffeinated soft drink Irn-Bru described as Scotland's "other national drink" and Marmite, a traditional British spread, made from brewer’s yeast.

Tony Badger of Brit Foods, a company that runs stores specializing in British products in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, made headlines in the U.K. after claiming inspectors were cracking down on products sold at his stores, including Marmite, Irn-Bru, Bovril, Ovaltine and more because they fell afoul of the CFIA.

Badger claimed he couldn't import the British specialty products into Canada because they were are all apparently enriched with too many vitamins and minerals.

British press were aghast at the news, with The Mirror claiming, "Canada is a country where there are 31 guns for every hundred people, they hunt seals and black bears roam freely," before concluding Canada isn't really that "tough-skinned."

The Independent newspaper took a similar approach, saying that "In Canada it is perfectly legal to acquire a firearm and bullets. But Marmite and Irn-Bru are apparently a threat to the nation's health."

But the CFIA said Friday that the Brit Foods shipment was rejected at the border in Montreal because it contained meat products that were not accompanied by the required documentation.

Ahh, the Mirror....now I see.

Well then, I should say that Brits are in-efficient at paperwork!!

regards
Darrell

[David Dunlop]

Since the topic is foodstuffs disappearing from store shelves in Canada, a Ginger Spread and a Rosella Jelly used to be available at local Safeway stores for many years, but both have been unavailable for a while now. I think both were made in or near Maroochydore Australia and I think my Mum visited the factory while visiting relatives in the area back in the 70's. Ribena blackcurrant concentrate is another item getting harder to find as well.


David

[motto]

Ribena copped a real hammering here a couple of years back as most of their claims for their product turned out to be false. I think a young university student took a look at their juice and discovered the truth, the word got out and the media picked up on it.
Ginger Spread and Rosella Jelly I've not heard of but in the past it was not unusual for Australian products to be made for export only and not available locally.
Also many products were available in their state of origin only as regards local markets. Maroochydore is over 1,000 miles from here in southern Queensland and maybe the Banana Benders know of the brands mentioned ay?

David

[rob love]

Originally Posted by Darrell Zinck

British press were aghast at the news, with The Mirror claiming, "Canada is a country where there are 31 guns for every hundred people, they hunt seals and black bears roam freely," before concluding Canada isn't really that "tough-skinned."

It's not as bad as the mirror makes it out to be. I have approximately twice that many guns, so that means there are possibly 198 people here who have no guns at all. I don't know any of them, but they could exist.

As to the black bears roaming freely, that part is 100% true. But I would take black bears (a minor threat that you can see) over the less visible threats like poisonous spiders and snakes.

[Darrell Zinck]

Originally Posted by rob love

It's not as bad as the mirror makes it out to be. I have approximately twice that many guns, so that means there are possibly 198 people here who have no guns at all. I don't know any of them, but they could exist.

As to the black bears roaming freely, that part is 100% true. But I would take black bears (a minor threat that you can see) over the less visible threats like poisonous spiders and snakes.

Hi Rob



...and thanks to those selfsame Brits, we don't hunt seals much anymore!

I wonder if the same Scots would import Flipper Pie?

regards
Darrell

[servicepub (RIP)]

Is there any truth to the rumour that Britain was prepared to retaliate by banning poutine?

[Dianaa]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Since the topic is foodstuffs disappearing from store shelves in Canada, a Ginger Spread and a Rosella Jelly used to be available at local Safeway stores for many years, but both have been unavailable for a while now. I think both were made in or near Maroochydore Australia and I think my Mum visited the factory while visiting relatives in the area back in the 70's. Ribena blackcurrant concentrate is another item getting harder to find as well.


David

If you're talking about Rosella Brand preservatives Jam in Oz Jelly in Nth America, the company started by the Moran and Cato supermarket chain was bought out by the soap multinational Unilever and as usual only agreed to produce the products for five years. That period lapsed and so did manufacturing of Rosella products including the famous Rosella tomato sauce (ketchup).



I believe the brand has been sold and manufacturing of some products recommenced.

There are also boutique products called rosella jam because of the ingrediants, which doesn't include the parrot species Psittacus elegans or Crimson Rosella in the recipe.

BTW: the US banned the import of Vegemite some years ago because of the salt content, however the ban was lifted shortly after because the usual serving is minimal and not the lashings that Americans are used to with spreads. You tend to find that while Marmite and Vegimite are similar people are either in the Marmite camp or the Vegimite one, I'm happy to say I'm a Vegemite Kid!

[Lynn Eades]

On a web site (About Australia) it seems Marmite is Australia's original yeast spread.
this is what a jar looks like down our way.
We all know what Kraft (c.r.a.f.t.) stands for..... Right???

[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