A murderer serving a life sentence in Australia is challenging a ban on prisoners consuming Vegemite. Vegemite is a polarizing, salty food that has become a national symbol.
State officials say inmates may use strong-smelling condiments to disguise contraband or brew alcohol in prison.
But Andre McKechnie claimed the ban, which has been in place in Victoria since 2006, denied him his right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian,” according to court documents seen by AFP and the Associated Press.
McKechnie was sentenced to life in prison for stabbing a property developer to death in Queensland in the 1990s. He served part of his sentence in Queensland before being transferred to Victoria.
The 54-year-old said he wanted the Vegemite ban to be overturned in his lawsuit against the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, the body that manages Victoria’s prisons.
He also wants prison authorities to declare that they “failed to provide him with food suitable to maintain (his) well-being.”
The AP reported that this case is scheduled to go to trial next year.
A beloved breakfast treat for many, Vegemite has received controversial praise since it was first launched in Australia in 1923.
The thick brown condiment, made primarily from yeast extract, was invented in the Victorian capital Melbourne over 100 years ago as an alternative to British Marmite.
In 2022, Melbourne declared the smell of Vegemite emanating from one of the city’s factories an ‘important’ aspect of the city’s cultural heritage.
But the condiment’s polarizing taste has led to it being stored in Sweden’s Museum of Disgusting Food, along with natto, stinky tofu and monkey brain.
Vegemite sparked an international debate in April this year when an Australian cafe owner living in Canada was told to remove bottles of the condiment from her shelves because it did not comply with local health regulations.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in, saying he found it “rather strange” that Canada had allowed the sale of Marmite, a “crap” rival to Vegemite. The Canadian distributor soon changed its policy and allowed the cafe owner to continue selling the spread.
