Yeast extract spreads and nutrient intake in Australia
What it found
In a national survey of 12,153 Australians, people who ate more yeast extract spreads took in more B vitamins but also more sodium.
The same pattern appeared for tomato-based sauces.
What they found
Studies in people
Who ate these spreads
About 19.6% of the sample ate yeast extract spreads, tomato-based sauces, or both on the recall day. Yeast extract spreads were most often eaten at breakfast, usually with bread or baked products.
B vitamins from yeast extract
People who ate the most yeast extract spread got a median of 30.7% to 67.6% of their B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folate) from it. Even those who ate the least got 7.7% to 30.1% of these vitamins from it.
Sodium from yeast extract
People who ate the most yeast extract spread got a median of 14.3% of their daily sodium from it, compared with 3.2% for those who ate the least.
Nutrients from tomato sauce
People who ate the most tomato-based sauce got a median of 12.5% of their beta-carotene and 12.7% of their sodium from it. For those who ate the least, the figures were 2.4% for beta-carotene and 4.2% for sodium.
Meeting nutrient targets
When the nutrients from these condiments were counted, significantly more people met the recommended intakes for sodium, potassium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, magnesium, iron and zinc. The differences ranged from 0.2% to 3.5% more people meeting the targets.
Overall sodium intake
People who ate yeast extract spreads or tomato-based sauces had a higher median daily sodium intake than those who did not (2414 mg compared with 1973 mg).
What the authors conclude
- They say that eating yeast extracts and tomato-based sauces leads to greater intake of key nutrients such as B vitamins and beta-carotene, and may help people meet nutrient reference values.
- They also say that these condiments lead to greater sodium intake, which is already above recommendations, and that lower sodium versions should be recommended.
- They call for further research on how these products can be used or modified to help improve population diets.
How it was done
The authors wanted to see how much these commonly eaten condiments add to Australians' nutrient intakes, since they can be high in both helpful nutrients and sodium.
They analysed food recall data from the 2011-2012 Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, covering 12,153 people aged 2 years and over. Each person reported everything they ate and drank in the previous 24 hours.
What it can’t tell you
- This study looked at one day of eating, so it cannot show usual long-term intake.
- It can show links between eating these condiments and nutrient intake, but it cannot prove that the condiments caused the differences.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Health and Medical Research Council (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors certify that there are no conflicts of interest to declare.
- Authors work at
- The University of Newcastle, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Australia
The paper
- Title
- Happy Little Vegemites™! An analysis of the contribution of yeast extract spreads and tomato-based sauces to nutrient intake adequacy in Australia
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Whatnall M, Clarke ED, Bucher T, Collins CE (2024). Happy Little Vegemites™! An analysis of the contribution of yeast extract spreads and tomato-based sauces to nutrient intake adequacy in Australia. Journal of human nutrition and dietetics. doi:10.1111/jhn.13255Free full textPubMed 37853549DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error