Australian government issues warning about Vegemite abuse

Buying Vegemite, that innocuous symbol of Australian cuisine, risks raising suspicion after the Australian government issued a request for vigilance to communities and shops following reports that people in rural communities were using Vegemite to make homemade alcohol.

The dark brown yeast extract is traditionally spread on toast, much like like Marmite, however, Australian Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has told one Australian newspaper that the abuse has become ‘prolific’ in Northern Territories, with reports of people buying up to 20 jars of the food paste at one go for the purpose of homemade alcohol brewing.

Scullion urged local businesses and communities to be vigilant and to report any suspicious Vegemite purchases.

Vegemite was invented in the 1920s and intended for use as a war-time substitute for Marmite but continues to be popular with Australians. According to some estimates, eight out of ten Australians have a jar of the brown paste in their home.