Vegemite ban: Murderer Andre McKechnie launches Supreme Court bid to allow iconic spread in Victorian prisons

A convicted murderer serving a life sentence behind bars has launched a legal battle in the Supreme Court to overturn a ban stopping him eating Vegemite in prison.

Andre McKechnie, who was convicted with a non-parole period of 15 years for a murder committed in Queensland in the 1990s, is fighting the Department of Justice over the iconic spread’s ban in Victorian prisons.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Prisoner fights to overturn ban on Vegemite in jails

Vegemite has been banned in the state’s jails due to its high yeast content, which prisoners have previously used to brew homemade alcohol behind bars.

Prison authorities also cite the product’s strong smell, which has allegedly been used to hinder detection dogs during searches.

According to court documents, McKechnie claims he’s unable to “enjoy his culture” while incarcerated because of Vegemite’s contraband status, stating he would like to “no longer be prohibited from consuming Vegemite” and for the ban to be overturned.

Taxpayers are reportedly footing the bill for the legal challenge, with Victorian courts listing the matter for a one-day trial in July next year.

The current legal battle is just one of many court fights the prisoner has pursued while serving his sentence.

In 2021 McKechnie commenced a proceeding against the State of Victoria to permanently restrain the state from “forcing or coercing” him to consume food which does not “conform to kashrut law”, a Jewish doctrine that defines which foods are kosher.

Now incarcerated at Port Phillip Prison, McKechnie, who had earlier been jailed at Hopkins Correctional Centre and at Ravenhall Correctional Centre, had that matter thrown out of court, according to Jade legal publications.

It’s not the first time Vegemite has made headlines this year.

In April, an Australian cafe owner in Canada sparked an international debate over the sale of Vegemite after he was told by authorities to destroy $8000 worth of stock.

Leighton Walters, owner of Found Coffee in Toronto, even gained the attention of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) flagged a new shipment of Vegemite for non-compliance, ordering it to be destroyed, citing concerns due to added B vitamins.

The CFIA later clarified that the “level of risk to human health from the added vitamins present in the product is low” and permitted its sale to resume.