Outcry in New Zealand over 'Marmageddon' crisis as Marmite stocks run out Food company Sanitarium has urged consumers to make the most of existing Marmite supplies by spreading it thinly on their breakfast toast or rationing to once a day. "With toast it's a little bit warmer so it spreads easier and it goes a little bit further," General Manager Pierre van Heerden told public radio on Monday. Van Heerden revealed Marmite had already sold out in some parts of the country and appealed for shoppers not to clear remaining stocks for their own hoards. "People need to be considerate of their fellow Kiwis," he said. There's no need to panic or freak out that Marmite isn't going to be available in the longer term, this is a short-term hiccup because of the earthquakes. Online prediction website ipredict.co.nz was forecasting an 83 per cent chance Marmite would be rationed in New Zealand supermarkets Tuesday, while one seller on auction website trademe.co.nz was offering jars at up to NZ$60 ($50). The New Zealand spread tastes slightly different to Vegemite and the British version of Marmite, which has long been marketed with the line "you either love it or hate it." Fans of each variation insist that theirs is the best, although the appeal often escapes those who have not grown up eating them. Some critics liken such spreads, based on brewer's yeast extract, to axle grease laced with salt. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton almost caused a diplomatic incident on a 2010 visit to Australia when she said: "I've never understood why you would ruin a perfectly good slice of bread with Vegemite."