A major clean-up operation was underway on Monday night after a lorry carrying over 20 tonnes of what was thought to be Marmite crashed into a caravan, spilling its contents all over the M1.
The motorway had to be closed in both directions after the HGV overturned following its collision with the caravan on a South Yorkshire stretch of the motorway between junctions 32 and 33.
The Environment agency was called to deal with the spillage, amid fears that the substance, which turned out to be waste yeast from a brewery, would find its way into the local waterways.
“Brewers yeast can have a devastating impact on wildlife in watercourses because it strips the water of oxygen, suffocating the fish,” Environment Agency area incident controller Colin Atkinson told the BBC.
Working together with the Highways Agency to contain the yeast, the Environment Agency prevented it from flowing into a nearby brook and river.
Officers will continue to check the water levels to ensure that no pollution made its way into the waterways.
