Australian murderer sues Vigemet rights in prison

An Australian murderer serving a life sentence is challenging a ban on prisoners eating Vegemite, the polarizing savory spread that has become a national symbol.

State authorities say inmates may use the strong-smelling condiment to disguise banned substances or brew alcohol behind bars.

But Andre McKechnie argued that Victoria’s ban, in place since 2006, deprived him of his right to “enjoy his culture as an Australian,” according to court documents seen by AFP and The Associated Press.

McKechnie is serving a life sentence for stabbing to death a property developer in Queensland in the 1990s. He served part of his sentence in Queensland before being transferred to Victoria.

The 54-year-old said in his lawsuit against Victoria’s Department of Justice and Corrections, which runs the state’s prisons, that he wants the Vegemite ban overturned.

He also wants prison authorities to declare they “failed to provide adequate food to maintain (his) health”.

The case is scheduled to go to trial next year, according to the Associated Press.

Vegemite is a beloved breakfast treat that has gained controversial acclaim since it first hit Australian shelves in 1923.

Made primarily from yeast extract, the thick brown condiment was invented more than a century ago in Melbourne, Victoria’s capital, as an alternative to British Marmite.

In 2022, Melbourne declared the smell of Vegemite wafting from a factory in the city an “important” aspect of the city’s cultural heritage.

However, the condiment’s polarizing taste has landed it in the Swedish Disgusting Food Museum, along with natto, stinky tofu and monkey brains.

In April this year, an Australian cafe owner in Canada was told that Vegemite had sparked an international row. Take out the condiment jar He pulled it from the shelves because it didn’t comply with local health regulations.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the debate, saying it was “pretty weird” that Canada allowed the sale of Vegemite’s “junk” rival product Marmite. The Canadian agency quickly changed course and allowed cafe owners to continue selling the spread.