A man serving a life sentence in the Australian state of Victoria has launched a legal bid to have the state's ban on the cherished yeast-based spread Vegemite overturned, arguing that the prohibition violates his cultural and human-rights protections.

The inmate, Andre McKechnie, currently incarcerated under maximum security, filed a suit in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the Department of Justice and Community Safety (Victoria) and Corrections Victoria.

He asserts that withholding Vegemite from him deprives him of his “culture as an Australian” under the state’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, and claims the ban amounts to a failure by the corrections system to provide food adequate for maintaining his well-being.

McKechnie was convicted of murder in 1994 and moved to Victoria’s prison system after serving a portion of his sentence in Queensland.

He remains in custody serving a life sentence.

The ban on Vegemite in all state prisons in Victoria has been in place since 2006; prison authorities cite concerns that the strong-smelling spread interferes with narcotics-detection dogs and that its yeast content may be used to produce illicit alcohol.

McKechnie’s lawsuit names both the department and the agency as defendants and is slated for trial in the coming year.

A spokesperson for the government emphasised that the criminal justice system must balance the rights of inmates with the safety and integrity of the system, and noted that the decision to ban the spread was not taken lightly.

Meanwhile victims’ advocates have sharply criticised the case, describing it as frivolous and offensive to the families of crime victims, arguing that a life-sentence prisoner should not be using the courts to press such demands.

The Australian court documents indicate McKechnie seeks formal declarations that his rights under the human-rights charter have been breached and that the corrections authorities have failed their legal duty under the Corrections Act to ensure his dietary provisions are adequate.

The dispute over the spread has touched a national nerve in Australia, where Vegemite has been a pantry staple for decades and is held by some 80 percent of households.

The company that makes Vegemite states that the product cannot be fermented into alcohol and rejects the idea that its yeast content poses such a risk.

Nonetheless the prohibition remains in Victoria’s penal system and the court will now be asked to assess whether the ban is lawful or constitutes an unjustified interference with cultural rights.

The outcome may have wider implications for prison food policy and cultural recognition in custodial settings.

The matter remains subject to legal process and no final decision has yet been made.