Sunday, October 22, 2006

Good Morning, America...It's Time To Wake Up!

I couldn't believe my eyes nor my ears when I read and heard the news yesterday that the US has slapped a ban on Vegemite!!

How incredibly weird and what a stupidly pointless ban this is! All ex-pats living in the US, should withdraw immediately...from the States, that is!

Time is wasted at the US border searching for Vegemite smugglers! Can you believe it?

Paul Watkins, owner of 'About Australia', a store in San Antonio, Texas was forced to stop importing Vegemite six months ago.

The bizarre reasoning behind this ban is Vegemite contains folate, which, in the US, is allowed to be added only to breads and cereals! Work that one out! If it does no harm in breads and cereals, what the harm does it do in Vegemite? How absolutely ridiculous!

Folate occurs naturally in foods. Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells...and I don't mean 'prison cells'! Folate is particularly important for infants and during pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA. It helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer.

Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Yeah...folate...must be really bad for you! Not to mention that yucky black stuff us crazy Aussies call 'Vegemite'!

So making my own private firm stance against the stupidity of this US ban...I've just made myself 4 slices of Vegemite on toast...it was yummy!

Again, I say....Wake up, America....you ban Vegemite but you still allow MSG in so many food products!

A new day has dawned...it's time you all joined in with the fun we Aussies have and become...'Happy Little Vegemites'

"We're Happy Little Vegemites...as bright as bright can be
We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast lunch and tea
Our mummys say we're growing strong every single week
Because we love our Vegemite....
We all adore our Vegemite
It puts a rose in every cheek!"



9 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:54 PM

    Good heavens! Fancy banning Vegemite! What would we Aussies do without our toast and Vegemite? The US should try marketing it instead of banning it, they might get a surprise about how popular it would become.

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  2. That's for sure! They are more keen on making fun of it than trying it. I had a friend from Oklahoma in the States stay with me back in 2001 and I gave some to her to try on toast for breakfast one morning and she liked it. I think where they go wrong with it, is that they put too much on the toast or cracker the first time they try it...and of course, it's too strong for them. It's a bit much for anyone if used to 'heavily'. I really do think it's crazy to ban it. When my ex-husband was living in New York (this was before we married, of course), I used to send jars of Vegemite over to him...plus Jockettes as you couldn't buy them in the States either. At that time, just about all that was available were those dreadful boxer shorts/underpants.

    Actually, the States are behind us in quite a few things. We had panti-hose in this country long before they did in the States. The same with bikinis and as for topless bathing and sun-bathing...well, we're far more uninhibited about that here in this country.

    One of my favourite ways to have Vegemite is spread on very fresh bread with slices of green apple (Granny Smith's)laid over the Vegemite...very delicious sandwiches!

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  3. "too heavily" even...or 'too thickly'..if that's clearer! ;)

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  4. I've spent the last hour searching for anything about Vegemite. This is news to me. I've never even tried the product and honestly thought it was a kitchen appliance before reading this. LOL!

    I did a search on the FDA website to see what they had to say and could find very little. None of the recent rejections of importation even mention Folic Acid, most are related to labeling.

    The FDA is a politically driven agency so I'm sure there is some lobbyist with deep pockets behind this. Stupid we are. Sorry!

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  5. Apologies accepted, Robbie! ;)

    We'll get together and start a Vegemite revolution! A march of all the 'Happy Little Vegemiters' dressed up as Vegemite jars upon the FDA. They'll be shivering in their booties! We'll start a smear campaign. See how they like being smeared with Vegemite!

    We'll make the 'Wiggles' go on strike! No more concerts until Vegemite is re-introduced!

    Russell Crowe will continue throwing telephones!

    Dame Edna will rip out all your gladiolis!

    We'll export all our old, used Hill's Hoists clothes lines to the States!

    We have our ways and means to break you down! ;)

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  6. Anonymous7:25 PM

    This is an outrage. Please consider signing our petition at www.savevegemite.com Help us get our Aussie icon unbanned.
    WE ARE NOT HAPPY LITTLE VEGEMITES!

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  7. Anonymous7:56 AM

    I think this is an unwinnable war Lee, I have had several "DISCUSSIONS" with my American readers about the wonders of vegemite, all to no avail, They just won't listen.

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  8. Surely you won't give up that easily, Peter...and you a Gympie lad! Tsk! Tsk! ;)

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