Marmite has been crowned as the number one prohibited branded food item which is confiscated from travellers’ hand luggage.
A study has revealed that Brits can’t live without a jar of their favourite Burton spread when travelling abroad – with London City Airport unveiling that it is one of the most intercepted items by security officials.
The airport reveals that the yeasty spread, made in Burton, was crowned the number one prohibited branded food item confiscated from travellers’ hand luggage – and in the top 10 overall for food items.
The jar is also high on the list of items taken away from passengers at East Midlands Airport.
It seems that for holiday-goers, the thought of having to say goodbye to a Marmite-filled life and venture into breakfast options unknown while on holiday is just too much to bear.
To ensure Brits never have to go without the brown sticky stuff, Marmite and London City Airport came together, taking over the security gate at the East London location to offer passengers the chance to swap their prohibited oversized jars for a travel-friendly 70g miniature.
The hand-baggage friendly Marmite meets the approval of security officers at airports, who will take away any container with more than 100ml of liquid inside.
Pending the success of the event, Marmite is considering rolling the initiative out nationwide for the lovers of the yeast spread.
The research also found that around one in eight people (13 per cent) in the UK have had to surrender an item in their hand luggage because it didn’t meet aviation or immigration rules.
For the confiscated jars, London City Airport donate the items to a local charity called Community Food Enterprises, which distribute to smaller charities in local communities.
Melanie Burnley, director of customer experience at London City Airport, said: “With 4.5 million passengers travelling through our doors each year, we see all kinds of weird and wonderful restricted items, including Marmite.
“The Marmite swap is a temporary but popular addition which means that whether you love it or hate it, you’ll still be able to get your Marmite fix when travelling. For any other liquid or gel items above 100ml, it’s best to pack them safely in the hold luggage."
The handy £1 jar is available to buy from Co-Op, Poundworld, Poundland, Poundstretcher, Boots airport stores and Caledonian Foods across the UK.
What is Marmite?
It was invented by accident. In the late 19th Century a German scientist, Justus Liebig, discovered brewers' yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.
In 1902 the Marmite Food Company was founded, in Burton, where the raw material was readily available as a waste product from the town's brewing industry.
