Jarmageddon: Marmite spill sparks biohazard threat

Lorry crash jams M1, leaves cops in the brown stuff

A flood of yeast extract has blocked the M1 motorway in South Yorkshire after a truck containing the Marmite ingredient crashed and spilled its load.

The road is still closed this morning, according to the latest traffic information, as cleanup workers scoop 23.2 tonnes of the gloopy brown stuff off the road surface.

South Yorkshire police said that the truck overturned after a collision with a motor caravan at 2215 GMT yesterday. The driver was taken to hospital, but it is understood his injuries are not serious.

The dumped yeast extract was described as "waste" by the BBC, so is highly unlikely to now end up in Marmite jars.

Left uncleaned, the vitamin-rich syrup, packed with denatured yeast cells, could cause a minor biohazard as it is highly nutritious to bacteria cultures. Yeast extract is a key element in lysogeny broths.

Obviously it would block the road too. Police have said it should be cleared from 1000 GMT today, though. ®