Marmite (New Zealand) facts for kids
A jar of Marmite
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Marmite is a popular food spread from New Zealand. It is enjoyed in Australia and the Pacific Islands. Marmite is made from yeast extract, which is a leftover product from making beer.
Even though it shares a name with the British Marmite, these two spreads are made by different companies. The New Zealand version has been made since 1919. It is the only product called "Marmite" in places like Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.
Contents
The Story of Marmite
How Was Marmite Discovered?
In the late 1800s, a German scientist named Justus von Liebig made an interesting discovery. He found that yeast from brewing beer could be made into a thick, edible paste. This discovery led to the creation of Marmite.
When Did Marmite Start?
The Marmite Food Extract Company began in 1902 in England. Their main product was Marmite, and their first factory was in Burton upon Trent.
Marmite Comes to New Zealand
Marmite became very popular. Because of this, the Sanitarium Health Food Company got the rights to sell it in New Zealand and Australia in 1908. Later, Sanitarium started making Marmite themselves in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The New Zealand Marmite uses a slightly different recipe. It includes sugar and caramel, and has more potassium than the British version. People often say New Zealand Marmite has a "weaker" or "less tangy" taste. It is sold across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.
How to Enjoy Marmite
Sanitarium suggests a fun way to eat Marmite: spread it on bread and add potato chips! This makes a tasty "Marmite and Chippie" sandwich.
What's in Marmite?
Marmite is full of good things for you, especially B vitamins. These include thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folic acid (B9), and vitamin B12. It also has a good amount of glutamic acid, which gives it a unique savory taste.
Marmite does have a high sodium content. However, people usually eat only a small amount per serving. This means the amount of salt you get from one serving is not too high.
| per 100 g | per 5 g serving | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 680 kJ | 34 kJ | |
| Calories | 163 kcal | 8 kcal | |
| Protein | 16.2 g | 0.8 g | |
| Carbohydrates | 16.6 g | 0.8 g | |
| sugars | 11.8 g | 0.6 g | |
| Fat | 0.9 g | 0.1 g | |
| Fibre | 11.5 g | 0.58 g | |
| Sodium | 3.4 g | 0.17 g | |
| Potassium | 1.95 g | 0.098 g | |
| % RDI | |||
| Thiamin | 11.0 mg | 0.55 mg | 50% |
| Riboflavin | 8.4 mg | 0.4 mg | 25% |
| Niacin | 50.0 mg | 2.5 mg | 25% |
| Folate | 2000 μg | 100 μg | 50% |
| Vitamin B12 | 10.0 μg | 0.5 μg | 25% |
| Iron | 36.0 mg | 1.8 mg | 15% |
| RDI = Recommended Daily Intake | |||
Marmite Around the World
Why Are There Different Names?
The company Unilever owns the name "Marmite" in the United Kingdom. Sanitarium owns the name in Australia and New Zealand. This means that each company has to sell their version under a different name in the other country.
For example, Unilever sells British Marmite as Our Mate in Australia and New Zealand. Sanitarium sells New Zealand Marmite as "NZ-Mite" in the UK.
Mo-mite for Movember
In November 2008, Marmite was temporarily renamed 'Mo-mite'. This was done to support Movember, a charity event where people grow moustaches to raise money for health issues.
The "Marmageddon" Shortage (2012–2013)
What Caused the Shortage?
In November 2011, the only factory making New Zealand Marmite had to close. This was because a cooling tower at the Christchurch factory was damaged. It had cracked during the earthquake in February 2011 and its aftershocks.
On March 19, 2012, Sanitarium announced they had run out of Marmite. They expected the factory to be closed until July. Supermarkets quickly ran out of stock. People started calling Marmite "black gold" and the situation "Marmageddon."
Panic Buying and High Prices
After the announcement, people rushed to buy Marmite from stores. Many jars were listed on online auction sites like TradeMe. Some sellers asked for as much as NZ$800 for a single jar! This was over 185 times its normal price of about $4.25.
Even the Prime Minister, John Key, joked that he might have to switch to the Australian spread, Vegemite. During the shortage, Marmite used social media to keep people interested. This helped them gain many new fans.
When Did Marmite Return?
In June 2012, more damage was found at the factory. The return to production was pushed back to October, then into 2013.
Finally, in February 2013, Sanitarium announced that production had started again. Marmite returned to New Zealand stores on March 20, 2013. At first, only the 250g jars were available. Many supermarkets limited customers to two jars per day to make sure everyone could get some. Once New Zealand had enough supply, Marmite was sent to overseas stores again.
See also
- Ambient food
- Cenovis
- Guinness Yeast Extract
- List of spreads
- Marmite
- Nutritional yeast
- Promite
- Twiglets
- Vegemite
- Vitam-R
