Border Protection tried to dispel the rumour, stating on its website that "there is no known prohibition on the importation of Vegemite" and "there is no official policy within CBP targeting Vegemite for interception". The story of the "ban" later took on the status of urban legend. While Vegemite has never been popular in the US, it can still be purchased at supermarkets that stock imported food items. Following newspaper reports in May 2011 that Vegemite and Marmite had been banned and were being removed from shelves in Denmark, outraged fans set up several Facebook groups. In response, Denmark's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries stated that neither spread had been banned but that the respective companies had not applied for licences to market their products in Denmark. In 2004, Denmark had passed legislation prohibiting the sale of food products fortified with vitamins as a danger to health. Vegemite is banned from Victorian prisons, with the bans beginning to come into effect from the 1990s, to prevent inmates from brewing alcohol using the paste's high yeast content—even though Vegemite contains no live yeast. Similar bans were proposed in 2015 for a number of dry communities in outback Australia, but they were not enacted. In popular culture The Australian rock band Men at Work refer to a "Vegemite sandwich" in the second verse of their 1981 hit song "Down Under", from their debut album Business as Usual. See also List of spreads Vegemite wars Bonox, Bovril (beef extracts) Guinness Yeast Extract (yeast extract) Oxo (beef and yeast extract) Shelf-stable food References Further reading Jamie Callister with Rod Howard (2011, 2012) The man who invented Vegemite: The true story behind an Australian icon Millers Point, N.S.W.: Pier 9. External links BBC News article: "The slow spread of Vegemite" Happy Little Vegemites at Australian Screen Online 2017 mergers and acquisitions Australian brands Australian companies established in 1923 Australian condiments Australian cuisine Brand name condiments Food paste National symbols of Australia New Zealand cuisine Products introduced in 1923 Spreads (food) Umami enhancers Vegan cuisine Yeast extract spreads