Victorian Supreme Court confirms 20-year prison ban on Vegemite

Inmates in Victorian prisons will not be able to add Vegemite to their meals following a court ruling on Monday. The decision ends a legal challenge brought by a man serving a life sentence who argued the ban prevented him from enjoying a key aspect of Australian culture.

Andre McKechnie, 54, filed the case against the state’s Department of Justice and Corrections. The rule prohibiting the yeast spread has been in effect since 2006. McKechnie claimed the ban violated legislation requiring prisons to provide food that supports inmate health and well-being.

A Supreme Court judge dismissed the appeal, stating that the prisoner’s cultural rights are limited by his sentence. The court found that McKechnie had not proven the ban breached his legal rights regarding dietary needs.

Prison officials provided evidence that the strong smell of Vegemite interferes with security operations. Corrections Victoria told the court that the odor can distract sniffer dogs used to detect contraband drugs. Authorities also noted that the paste is sometimes used to hide illicit substances or brew alcohol.

McKechnie was sentenced to life in prison for the fatal stabbing of a property developer in Queensland during the 1990s. He served part of his sentence in that state before being transferred to Victoria. The ban on the spread is also enforced in the prisons of Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania.

The product, invented in Melbourne in 1923, remains a contentious food item in Australia. Its status as a cultural symbol was tested last April when an Australian cafe owner in Canada faced a dispute over selling the condiment. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese intervened in that matter, calling it odd that Canada sold Marmite but not Vegemite, before the cafe owner was allowed to keep the product on shelves.