Oh NO!

[den]

Looks like I'll never get to the US now.

If the government tried to do that here there would be revolution and blood will flow in Parliament House. You can take my freedom but you'll never take my Vegemite.

Comments

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

Oh, I should note...

Some years back, WorldCon was doing a Scottish Theme. They tried to import large amounts of Scotch Whiskey, and Haggis.

The Whiskey made it past customs.

The Haggis was impounded as a "non-food item", and destroyed.

Again, I am tired of having to apologize for my country.

[camstone.livejournal.com]

*Nods* Unfortunately, as an American with Scottish Heritage, I can understand Haggis. You see, Haggis is made from "organ" meats, which are not controlled well durring their preparation (e.g. not always fully cooked, and contain some blood.) These types of food, and things similar to sausage and lunch meats - unless they can be properly and safely made - can carry some serious parisites that are not well tolerated by Americans, since we aren't exposed to them.

Vegimite on the other hand, is a prepared yeast by-product of beer, made by "KRAFT!"
http://about-australia-shop.com/vegemite.htm

And yes, I am tired of apologizing too. *sigh*

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Don't apologize for your country, just the government. We can't even blame the President for this one, it's just some over-zealous bureaucrat. I bet an Aussie pulled the "We eat it like peanut butter" trick on him.

It is illegal to import a lot of foods into Australia for the same reasons the Haggis didn't make it into the US: disease, parasites or pests.

But because it contains folic acid, which is found in other products?

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Not to mention that increased levels of folic acid are recommended for pregnant women, because it plays a non-trivial role in early fetal development.

Hmmm... that might be a lever to try, given the current Administration's obsession with anything having to do with unborn babies. See if you can get the fundies to raise a howl of outrage!

[breimh.livejournal.com]

Now there's a good idea! Not to mention, they've recently found that folic acid helps slow down Alzheimer's for some of those afflicted with it, too.

Perhaps letters can be written to the medical industry, who can lean on the FDA.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

[haggis-bagpipes.livejournal.com]

Dumb american censorship of scottish foodstuffs is not a new phenomenon: during prohibition era they banned whiskey but allowed the strongest whiskey of all, Laphroaig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laphroaig) to be imported, on the grounds that nobody in their right mind would drink it to get drunk - it must be a medicine.