A convicted murderer serving a life sentence has taken his unusual legal fight to the Supreme Court, challenging a ban that prevents him from eating Vegemite while behind bars.
The Legal Battle Over an Australian Icon
Andre McKechnie, who is serving a life sentence with a non-parole period of 15 years for a murder committed in Queensland during the 1990s, is now contesting the Victorian Department of Justice's prohibition on the iconic spread. The matter has been officially listed for a one-day trial in July of next year, with Victorian taxpayers reportedly covering the costs of this legal challenge.
According to court documents, McKechnie argues that the contraband status of Vegemite prevents him from being able to "enjoy his culture" while incarcerated. He is formally seeking to have the ban overturned so he is "no longer be prohibited from consuming Vegemite."
Why Vegemite is Banned in Prisons
Prison authorities have implemented the ban across the state's correctional facilities for two primary reasons. The first is the product's high yeast content, which inmates have previously exploited to brew homemade alcohol illegally within the prison walls.
The second reason cited is the spread's characteristically strong smell. Officials allege that this potent odour has been used by prisoners to mask other scents and hinder the effectiveness of detection dogs during routine cell searches.
A History of Legal Challenges
This is not the first time McKechnie has turned to the courts during his imprisonment. In 2021, he initiated a separate proceeding against the State of Victoria. In that case, he sought to permanently restrain the state from, in his words, "forcing or coercing" him to consume food that did not conform to kashrut law, a set of Jewish dietary rules defining what is kosher.
That particular legal action, which occurred while he was held at Hopkins Correctional Centre and later Ravenhall Correctional Centre, was ultimately thrown out of court. McKechnie is currently incarcerated at Port Phillip Prison.
This prison Vegemite controversy is part of a wider narrative concerning the savoury spread. In April of this year, an Australian cafe owner in Toronto, Canada, named Leighton Walters, was ordered by The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to destroy $8000 worth of Vegemite stock. The issue, which even drew the attention of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, was initially flagged due to non-compliance concerns over added B vitamins. The CFIA later reversed its stance, clarifying the health risk was low and permitting sales to resume.
