Denmark's decision to ban Marmite and Vegemite is a "weird law" that has made that country a laughing stock, the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council says.
Denmark's sales ban enforced a 2004 law restricting products fortified with added vitamins, the Guardian reported. Products like Marmite, Horlicks, Ovaltine and Vegemite had escaped the law until now but have been banned in the ruling.
The bizarre decision of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration was an example of what happened when governments didn't pay attention to the regulation of food and grocery products, New Zealand Food & Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said.
"What obviously started as the bright idea of a misguided Danish official has now made Denmark an international laughing stock, no doubt creating a headache for their Foreign Affairs diplomats. This weird law is not based on science, common sense or any issue remotely linked to food safety, factors which underpin New Zealand's approach to food safety regulation."
The New Zealand Food and Grocery Council is writing to New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade officials to encourage them to raise this issue with their Danish counterparts.
