The Curious Case of Canadian Marmite.

30 March 2010 Michael 17 comments

As many of you may know, I am something of a Marmite addict. If you don’t know what Marmite is there are plenty of references on the Internet and if you are an Antipodean who is already looking for the comment box so you can tell me that Vegemite is better than Marmite then don’t, I am not talking about Australian Marmite which is completely different than British Marmite so the chances are high that you have never actually tasted proper Marmite otherwise you wouldn’t be talking such nonsense.

Anyway, all that aside, I had been convinced that the Marmite you can buy in Canada, although it is made by the same company and in the same packaging is watered down. It’s the wrong colour for a start. Canadian Marmite looks like diarrhoea and doesn’t have the translucent inner glow of British Marmite. I thought I was going mad, why would there be a difference? Tonight, I came across some old packages of British Marmite I had nicked from a hotel in Norwich in 2003 so I finally had a comparison.

Firstly… Hotel packets of British Marmite:

(Yes, I know the sell-by date is 2005, we will ignore that. It’s not like Marmite changes over time).

Now Canadian Marmite:

(You can tell it’s Canadian, it has English and French labels, so no cheating here).

Now some anaemic toast:

(Yeach, do people really eat toast this colour?)

And now, the Marmite on a knife:

I may as well have stopped here really – It’s obvious that they are completely different. In the interests of Science, however…

The Marmite on toast:

I have no idea WHY Canadian Marmite is so completely different. It costs pretty much the same in Canada as it does in Britain. It doesn’t taste bad, it’s just a little weaker and you have to spread a lot more; plus there is that whole bodily fluid thing going on with it. People who may claim that the 2003 Marmite is blacker because it is old, well you will just have to trust me. I could have used the British Champagne Marmite which is just as black but that wouldn’t have been like-for-like.

There is no conclusion to this. I just figured that rather than waste a posting ranting about Google I may as well expose this curious Marmite Conspiracy.

Food, Nothing in particular, Photos, Ponderings, Rants, Reviews none

#1 | Written by Michael about 15 years ago. Reply

Most of the comments to this ended up on Facebook so I thought I would transfer them over…

Joyce Goedoen-Tibbert likes this.

Nigel Armfield Mmm… we have several choices here – including the UK made Marmite (expensive), Australian Marmite (different product by different people) or Vegemite. I grew up on Marmite but find Vegemite just fine. The only real difference I noticed is that Vegemite seems a little less salty than Marmite but given that they are both sodium bombs it probably makes little difference…
30 March at 05:27 ·

Henry Mensch i just wait for a very hot day and scrape up some of the roadbed.
30 March at 05:43 ·

Miriam Schoon OMG, I wouldn’t even eat that reddish brown stuff. Marmite is supposed to be black! I’m Dutch, but I still eat the stuff like it’s peanut butter (to the great disgust of my fellow countrymen). I don’t understand what the fuss about vegemite is, the stuff tastes like cheese, no way is that better than marmite!
30 March at 07:01 ·

Nigel Armfield Cheese?! – you must have had an off pot! (unless you bought the new vegemite/cottage cheese blended stuff)…
30 March at 07:03 ·

Miriam Schoon I dunno, it was ordered by an Aussie from the States, he was happy with the stuff, I thought it tasted like a cheesy watered down version of “the real stuff”, it does find on toast to get rid of a hangover, but I wouldn’t eat it if I could get (English) Marmite…
30 March at 07:13 ·

Lionel Artom-ginzburg Odd that the Marmite I buy here in the States (at a gourmet shop, of all places) is the UK version. You’d think it’d be cheaper to import from Canada.
30 March at 08:25 ·

Michael Lawrie I thought Marmite was banned in the US. Something to do with the amount of Vitamin B it had in making it a drug. That could of course be why the Canadian one is milder. Mind you, this is a country that sells Ephedrine in 500’s next to the caffeine pills in health-food shops.
30 March at 09:11 ·

Rune McKellar I can vouch for the fact that Marmite doesn’t change colour over time – as an expat kid growing up in super-isolated 90s France, I learned to love Marmite from a pot that didn’t even have a visible sell-by-date any more (at least five years old, probably double that), and upon sampling ‘fresh’ British stuff I was delighted to find that there was no discernible difference, whether in consistency, taste or colour.
30 March at 10:12 ·

Michael Lawrie Somebody pointed out to me that the British one may well have changed since 2003 (or whenever I got my sachets) as well. We all have memories of jars of Marmite that lasted for ever but these days they don’t. Maybe the formulation was changed when they introduced the plastic squirty bottles – That would make sense.

As an aside, I should post the photos of the indestructible Marmite jar sometime too,
30 March at 10:49 ·

Michael Lawrie Here’s interesting:

Jennifer Dean, who works for Marmite at Unilever, writes:

“Marmite as we know and love it is made at Burton on Trent, the exact same product can be found in Australia and NZ under the name of Our Mate! Made in Burton we just can’t use the Marmite name, someone else owns it!! Also most Marmite around the world is produced in Burton, it get shipped in big drums and just packed into a jar when it reaches its destination. Any variation in taste or texture is usually down to temperature controls and storage not because its a different formulation. Twiglets taste of Marmite as they use the same yeast extract, purchased from us!”…
See more
30 March at 11:01 ·

Amanda Kaiser someone needs to introduce these marmite and vegamite users to nutella! Now that’s a toast spread!
31 March at 00:53 ·

Chantal Dhont mmmmmm! Nutella!
01 April at 14:18 ·

Michael Lawrie Vile freaks.
01 April at 14:21 ·

Chantal Dhont speak for urself :-)!
01 April at 14:25 ·
#2 | Written by [email protected] about 14 years ago. Reply

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#3 | Written by flower tattoo designs about 14 years ago. Reply

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#4 | Written by canadite about 13 years ago. Reply

I noticed this difference also, but what I also noticed is that Marmite bought in Canada has not been fortified with any vitamins and has very different ingredients the canadian ingredients are: yeast, salt, dehydrated carrots and onions, and spice extracts. No celery no vitamins very different.
#5 | Written by Mia about 13 years ago. Reply

TO Micheal + Canadite;
I have just spent the last few days delving on the Canadian version of Marmite, as I had observed the same differences with a jar I’ve had since ’04 vs one purchased Oct ’11 (ingredients, colour, taste).
Since there was also no Nutritional Label, I became uncomfortable with it, thinking maybe this was a counterfeit version. I emailed Marmite UK Oct. 25.. as of yet, no response. Also emailed the current distributor I-D Foods, also no response. At the same time, I emailed the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Food Labelling Line. Here’s their response (I had sent pics of the 2 Marmite versions):

“… From looking at the images you provided, it actually looks like the new
label you have conforms more closely to the Canadian Regulations than
the previous product. There is a very specific list of products that are
allowed to be enriched with vitamins which can be found in the Food and
Drug Regulations under section D.03.002. This type of spread does not
appear to fall into any of these categories, and therefore should not be
enriched with vitamins when sold in Canada. Also on the previous
product, the Nutrition Facts Table is not the proper format to be sold
in Canada, nor is the packaging bilingual.

The newer version does, however, lack a Canadian Nutrition Facts table.
Some products that have small display surfaces can be exempt from
displaying an NFT directly on their package, however they must indicate
a method through which consumers can obtain the Nutrition Facts….”

Therefore folks, Canadian version of Marmite seems to have NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE, so indulge as you wish with that in mind.
#6 | Written by sridattlakhan about 13 years ago. Reply

Marmite from the UK is available in Canada at most ethnic stores owned by immigramts from Commonwealth Countries–the latter being former colonies of Great Britain. Some how or the other, Marmite is imported directly from Great Britain: it joins a list of other British products,although having a Canadian equivalent( in name only, my mother would say) that are sold in Canada. I must point out however that from my experience(and those of some others too), many of the products originating from the UK enter Canada close to the end of their shelf life. Why this is so, I do’t know.
#7 | Written by John Greaves about 11 years ago. Reply

Just was given a jar of Canadian Marmite – looks different and tastes different – very disappointing. Now i have to search for a specialty shop with the real stuff.
Unfortunately a friend thought my ancient jar was something that had gone bad and threw it away while cleaning – thus the replacement.
#8 | Written by Mark about 11 years ago. Reply

Did you know that marmite has now been banned in Canada. I’ll let that sentence sink in before continuing…

Now that you’ve recovered from disbelief and shock, here is the website – bbc news
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25867613

If you don’t want to use the link, it says:

The owner of a British food shop in Canada says he has been ordered to stop selling Marmite, Ovaltine and Irn Bru because they contain illegal additives.

Tony Badger, who owns Brit Foods in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, told local media that food safety officials had removed the foods from his shelves.

Other affected products include Lucozade, Penguin Bars and Bovril.

Mr Badger said he had been selling the items since 1997, and had never had problems in the past.

“We’ve been bringing Irn-Bru in since the very beginning,” he told CKOM. The bright orange caffeinated drink is particularly popular in Scotland, but sold in countries around the world.

“My understanding was we were importing legally. We’ve been declaring it through a customs broker and we’ve never had an issue until now,” said Mr Badger.

Expensive delays
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is reportedly cracking down on the sale of such goods and increasing its inspections of suppliers.

Press Association
Irn Bru is the most popular soft drink in Scotland
Irn Bru contains at least one additive – Ponceau 4R – which has been linked to hyperactivity and does not appear on the approved food list in Canada.

The other products are banned because they are “enriched with vitamins and mineral” while some canned foods and soup contained too much animal product.

The CFIA could not be reached for comment.

mmm I think the head of the CFIA isn’t a marmite lover.
#9 | Written by Michael about 11 years ago. Reply

Marmite’s official statement is: “Canadians need not fear as Marmite produced especially for them, which is not fortified and is Health Canada compliant, is readily available.”

Of course, this means they lied to us about: “Any variation in taste or texture is usually down to temperature controls and storage not because its a different formulation.”

My life is in tatters. MARMITE LIED!
#10 | Written by Natnik about 11 years ago. Reply

I am truly bummed out about Marmite being pulled off our shelves, it’s my favorite on toast… Not to mention excellent for gravy & soup stock.
#11 | Written by Robert Fauchon about 11 years ago. Reply

I don’t know when this info was compiled, but as of This date I know for sure. Marmite sold in Canada through either Ethnic locations or certain distributors(for certain Overwaitea foods inc) are the genuine article made by Unilever foods, Burton on Trent UK. Tested and proved by me, unofficial Marmite and ovaltine smuggler. Tested and tasted side by side, there is no difference whatever in taste, color or texture. I have been gronfing Marmite on toast for the last 70 years and consider my self a Marmite gourmet. All those Ozzies who claim Vegemite is better, have been brought up on Kangaroo milk and are speaking through a woolly pouch.
- #12 | Written by Keith about 10 years ago. Reply
  
  Robert Fauchon
  I am trying to find someone who would be willing to send me the Canadian Marmite jars to England. I am among a strange breed of Marmite collectors, who are searching for the different jars from different places.
  If anyone can help I would be grateful.
  Thanks Keith
#13 | Written by Stuart about 10 years ago. Reply

Marmite has also changed for the worse in Britain, but it is not just the colour that has changed. Frankly, it has developed a bitter chemical aftertaste like medicine. Try a little on a spoon – not disguised by other flavours like toast.

It never used to taste like that and now I won’t touch the stuff. In England we can still buy own-brand supermarket versions and they do not have the worrying taste, but how long this will be allowed to last I don’t know.
#14 | Written by Dewi Morgan about 10 years ago. Reply

Heinz Baked Beans, too. A completely different animal between the US and UK.
#15 | Written by Duncan Stuart about 5 years ago. Reply

You can immediately spot the British baked beans as they are printed “Heinz Beanz” whereas the US cans all show ”Heinz Beans” and yes the “Beanz” do taste so much better ! As for the Vegemite being banned by th CFIA they need to come back down to earth, as Vegemite has been around for at least 75 years and has won numerous awards for health factors both from research doctors and other factions. Maybe someone in the CFIA has a hidden agenda, wouldn’t be the first official to be caught on that one. Before anyone starts back with the Marmite vs Vegemite theme, I like both, but I do get really bugged when some official decides that they are going to throw away 75 years of public testing, just to blow their own trumpet and ban a perfectly time tested product that millions have loved for so long, maybe whoever started the mindless should find (or be petitioned to find) another line of work which is less disrupting to the public well being. I’m amazed that there hasn’t already been a mass of complaints to the head of the CFIA via media, such as Facebook of twitter.
#16 | Written by Duncan Stuart about 5 years ago. Reply

You can immediately spot the British baked beans as they are printed “Heinz Beanz” whereas the US cans all show ”Heinz Beans” and yes the “Beanz” do taste so much better ! As for the Vegemite being banned by th CFIA they need to come back down to earth, as Vegemite has been around for at least 75 years and has won numerous awards for health factors both from research doctors and other factions. Maybe someone in the CFIA has a hidden agenda, wouldn’t be the first official to be caught on that one. Before anyone starts back with the Marmite vs Vegemite theme, I like both, but I do get really bugged when some official decides that they are going to throw away 75 years of public testing, just to blow their own trumpet and ban a perfectly time tested product that millions have loved for so long, maybe whoever started the mindless action should find (or be petitioned to find) another line of work which is less disrupting to the public well being. I’m amazed that there hasn’t already been a mass of complaints to the head of the CFIA via media, such as Facebook or twitter.
#17 | Written by Kate about 4 years ago. Reply

Marmite does very much change over time! I’m speaking U.K. marmite – it starts brown and goes black and sticky later.
Not to say they’re not different, but your test isn’t a fair one!
I have a couple of British jars my mum sent and a new one from Canadian superstore. I’ll test them both.

#1 | Pinged by Canada reportedly bans Marmite because it has too many vitamins | torontolife.com about 11 years ago.

[…] food store Empire By Bullet. He also stocks authentic British Marmite, which is apparently slightly different from the Canadian version available at Loblaws and other big supermarkets. “If the ban goes […]

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