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USA bans world's greatest hangover cure.

Chundles

Chundles

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jul 4, 2005
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Ports in USA are expecting massive exodus of Australians as Vegemite is banned for containing Folate. In the USA, folate can only be added to breads and cereals.... :confused:

Nothing better in the world when you wake up in a fragile state than a couple of slices of thick toast, lathered in butter and evenly but thinly spread Vegemite. The Vitamin B just gets you back in gear like nothing else, not coffee, not a greasy fry up, nothing cures the morning after the night before like the old Vegemite.

There's no accounting for taste
October 21, 2006 12:00am
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THE US has banned Vegemite, even to the point of searching Australians for jars of the spread when they enter the country.

The bizarre crackdown was prompted because Vegemite has been deemed illegal under US food laws.

The great Aussie icon - faithfully carried around the world by travellers from downunder - contains folate, which under a technicality, America allows to be added only to breads and cereals.

Australian expatriates in the US said enforcement of the ban had been gradually stepped up and was now ruining lifelong traditions of Vegemite on toast for breakfast.

Kraft spokeswoman Joanna Scott said: "The (US) Food and Drug Administration doesn't allow the import of Vegemite simply because the recipe does have the addition of folic acid.''

The US was "a minor market'' for Vegemite, she said.
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A sad day as "Black Gold" vanishes from the "Land of Free"...
 
Man, every little news I hear about the US is just so stupid :mad: I might just move back to India.. depending on who gets elected president next.
 
max_altitude said:
Wow, that just seems stupid.

I never thought of Vegemite as a hangover cure. It sure would have come in handy this morning. :eek:
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Oh mate it's the best. Boy are there some riled up Aussie ex-pats on the TV now.
 
What about Marmite? Does that contain folate too?


EDIT: Yes it does. So are they going to ban that too?
 
Chundles said:
Oh mate it's the best. Boy are there some riled up Aussie ex-pats on the TV now.
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Well I'll know for next time now.

On the rare occasion that I actually have breakfast, 9 times out of 10 it's Vegemite on toast. I just love the stuff, so I can understand why they'd been annoyed.

Seems like quite a pointless law. I wonder where it originated.
 
neonblue2 said:
America's crazy. I've been Vegemite all my life (mostly with no or little butter) and I'm fine. Except now I can't eat sandwiches or toast because I got my braces on Wednesday and I can't chew
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You'll be right mate, the pain goes fairly quickly and you learn how to chew with your braces after a day or so.

I got mine off after a year in Year 12 and to this day I still have a wire across the back of my bottom front teeth. It's still intrusive and annoying - far more than the braces ever were because they were out of range of my tongue most of the time. With this thing on the back my tongue rests right on it all the time.
 
Yeah yeah, it's not only good for hangovers but, in a pinch, it's roof or road patch, too. ;)

The Department of Agriculture has some old rules on the books, as did the Department of Transportation until the 1980s. We'd still be running with 1920s-specification headlights, if not for some re-thinking. They probably restrict us from more important things than Vegemite, though.

Is that planetary government ready yet?
 
Chundles said:
I got mine off after a year in Year 12 and to this day I still have a wire across the back of my bottom front teeth. It's still intrusive and annoying - far more than the braces ever were because they were out of range of my tongue most of the time. With this thing on the back my tongue rests right on it all the time.
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I have exactly the same thing! The orthodontist said to just leave it in, because it'll make sure my teeth never shift back, but my dentist said that he could take it out if I ever got sick of it. Mine doesn't bother me all that much so I'll just leave it there I guess.
 
The folate story appears to be hooey. There have been some recent problems listed by the US Food & Drug Administration, but they are about how ingredients are listed, and missing information on how the stuff is made (safety questions because it's a low-acid food sold in a jar).

It's not even clear that Kraft Foods has been involved with this, the warnings appear to have been sent to Nisa International, the importer.
 
Chundles said:
You'll be right mate, the pain goes fairly quickly and you learn how to chew with your braces after a day or so.

I got mine off after a year in Year 12 and to this day I still have a wire across the back of my bottom front teeth. It's still intrusive and annoying - far more than the braces ever were because they were out of range of my tongue most of the time. With this thing on the back my tongue rests right on it all the time.
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Thanks for the support. For tea it's soft cheese, bread and scrambled eggs. I think the pain might be related to the two globs of glue the orthodontist put on my back teeth so my overbite doesn't conflict the the bottom brace. My teeth are always resting on them. But it's not as bad as having your wisdom teeth pulled, that really hurts.
 
Vegemite... Like Marmite, right?
Funny how people from different countries likes different stuff. Here, no-one likes Marmite. Just tastes plain awful to most people.
But how do you like my favourite cure for hangovers:
Raw marinated filets of herring in thick curry sauce on black bread, topped with hard-boiled eggs and slices of onion. Yumm!
 
NJuul said:
Vegemite... Like Marmite, right?
Funny how people from different countries likes different stuff. Here, no-one likes Marmite. Just tastes plain awful to most people.
But how do you like my favourite cure for hangovers:
Raw marinated filets of herring in thick curry sauce on black bread, topped with hard-boiled eggs and slices of onion. Yumm!
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Marmite has nothing on Vegemite.

What is that? A Danish breakfast? I've heard about the stuff you Europeans call "breakfast" - oily fish? You've got to be joking.

This morning's brekky was a big pile of fresh fruit, some toast, cereal and a coffee. Light, tasty and healthy, none of this fish curry nonsense... :p ;)
 
Chundles said:
Marmite has nothing on Vegemite.

What is that? A Danish breakfast? I've heard about the stuff you Europeans call "breakfast" - oily fish? You've got to be joking.

This morning's brekky was a big pile of fresh fruit, some toast, cereal and a coffee. Light, tasty and healthy, none of this fish curry nonsense... :p ;)
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Well, I usually wouldn't eat it for breakfast, but it's good against hangovers:)
My breakfast is pretty much bread, cheese and coffee. Fat cheese... can't call it healthy :(
Anyway, if vegemite and marmite aren't the same (not even close?), then I have no idea what it is. But it does sound rather excessive to search travellers for any import of toast spread. :rolleyes:
 
killmoms said:
This article at Cockeyed's famous "How Much Is Inside?" is all I know of Vegemite, and frankly... all I need to:

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

Check it out though, it's hilarious. Clearly only Australians have the constitution to withstand this stuff.
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When my Dad was in the RAAF and stationed in the states for three years there was a tradition on the base whereby after completion of some course, a new addition to the squad had to go through a series of tasks. Those who did all the tasks was then able to add a new task. My Dad added "eating a heaped tablespoon of Vegemite" to the list. Boy did that sort the men from the boys.

Now, you have to understand the average American constitution is too weak to deal with even the regular serving size of Vegemite (about 3/4 of a teaspoon) but these flyboys were yacking all over the place after ingesting about 6x the average daily intake of Australia's finest.

Love my Vegemite.
 
It's banned because of folic acid? And all the GM crap and chemicals the US food industry puts into it's food is OK?

I didn't know that vegemite was used as hangover cure? But surely the best hangover cure is a morning surf - a couple of cold waves smashing into your face sobers you up incredibly quickly! :)
 
welshandrew said:
surely the best hangover cure is a morning surf - a couple of cold waves smashing into your face sobers you up incredibly quickly! :)
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Wherever on the globe you are, I envy you.
 
NJuul said:
Wherever on the globe you are, I envy you.
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2 blocks from the beach. And a proper beach - not this "sitting on a bunch of pebbles in the rain on a cloudy day with a little white cloth on your head" English idea of a beach.

I'm talking yellow-white sands, blue water, dolphins and people walking their dogs of the morning while the sun comes up over the Pacific sort of beach.
Oh god I love winding up the Poms
 
Chundles said:
...a proper beach - not this "sitting on a bunch of pebbles in the rain on a cloudy day with a little white cloth on your head" English idea of a beach.

I'm talking yellow-white sands, blue water, dolphins and people walking their dogs of the morning while the sun comes up over the Pacific sort of beach.
Oh god I love winding up the Poms
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But you need the rain and the wind and the cold and the pebbles to cure the hangover. Otherwise you just get too comfortable lounging in the sun sipping on exotic cocktails. (I'm not jealous!) ;)
 
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