American Foods That Are Banned In Other Countries
By Nick Hadji
2 months ago
Artificial Blueberry!
Image Source: Reddit
Although very pretty, the artificial coloring in artificial blueberry is really not good for you! The blue dye that is used to color it is derived from petroleum! Studies have also shown that it has been linked to nerve-cell degeneration, brain cancer, and hyperactivity! Because of that, it has been banned in Norway, Finland, Austria, France, and the U.K.!
Froot Loops!
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Froot Loops have an absolute shedload of artificial coloring in them! The amount and the specific dye used in froot loops can inhibit nerve-cell development! That could be why Norway, Finland, Austria, France, and the United Kingdom have banned it! They have also banned Fruity Pebbles for the same reason!
American M&M's...
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You can definitely find M&M's in other countries, but something I didn't know was that every country has its own specific formula! The formula used in America uses blue dye #2 which is very bad for human consumption! Unfortunately, M&M's have a history of not adding great substances to their formulas!
Salmon!
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Salmon is mostly ok in other countries, but only as long as it is not farm raised. Salmon that have been farm-raised are fed chemicals to make them look better. As well as this, they are also given a load of antibiotics and other drugs that just are not safe for humans! They are most strict on it in Australia and New Zealand!
Maraschino Cherries...
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Another food coloring issue that has been banned overseas is red dye #40. Countless people are allergic and it increases your risk of cancer! Whilst these cherries are the main culprit, you can also find Red #40 in grenadine and cherry pie mix. For this reason, it has been banned in many European countries!
Chewing Gum...
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Chewing gum is great! However, lots of countries have banned it for different reasons! The UK, Japan, and others have banned a chemical called BHA which can be used in it and other countries have banned it because they can't stop people from spitting it onto the ground... gross
Rice!
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Unfortunate;y, yes, even rice is on the list! Rice has a high risk of containing ground metal arsenic, which is easily absorbed by plants! The use of pesticides and inorganic arsenic makes even rice a carcinogen and dangerous to children and infants. Rice is monitored but some places are still not happy with it and so have banned pesticides and arsenic completely!
Fat-Free Snacks...
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For a long while Olestra was thought to have been an incredible invention! However, it comes with its downsides... found in many fat-free foods, Olestra or Olean makes your body unable to absorb vitamins! It can also cause cramps and bowel issues and has been banned in the United Kingdom and Canada!
Apples!
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Unfortunately, the better looking the apple, the more likely it is to have a mixture of chemicals keeping it looking that way! These chemicals are dangerous to your body! The European Food Safety Authority has recently blocked American apples due to links with various cancers... Jeez, how d'ya like them apples?
Sugar Cane!
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Banned in most of the rest of the world, crops in the States can still be treated with Atrazine... this is a herbicide that has many uses but has been known to cause birth defects, reproductive tumors, skin sensitization, and muscle degeneration. Atrazine also easily leaks into water supplies and interferes with wildlife! It is most commonly found in Sugar Cane!
Chocolate Milk...
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There's not a lot better than a cold glass of choccy milk, although there really could be loads of things better... Some brands use carrageenan, which is a type of seaweed that is commonly used in many types of food but research shows it causes inflammation and can lead to heart disease, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's!
Frozen Dinners!
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Frozen dinners are just one of the things that azodicarbonamide can be found in! It can also be found in bread, pasta mixes, and packaged baked goods! It is used to bleach flour and foamed plastic like the soles of your sneakers... it doesn't sound the safest does it? Well, maybe that's why it's banned in Australia, the UK, and most European countries!
Ketchup...
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Ketchup, really? Unfortunately, yes! This one isn't quite as serious as the others though luckily! As it turns out France takes their foods so seriously that they have banned ketchup in elementary schools because it was hindering their food culture, for their health and so that the children could get used to national French recipes so that they can keep being handed down the generations!
Bread...
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For bakers who don't have time to bake bread the good old-fashioned way, they use a chemical called Potassium Bromate. This chemical, however, has been linked to kidney damage, cancer, and nervous system damage! It is no surprise at all that potassium bromate is banned in Europe, Canada, and China!
Potato Chips!
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Butylated hydroxytoluene or BHT is mostly used to preserve food, keeping it fresh so that it can be sat around for a long time before the consumers eat it. It is generally considered safe in the United States, however, not everywhere considers it safe since data has shown it can be a carcinogen.
Pork...
Image Source: Reddit
Pork in America sometimes has something called Ractopamine used to increase the protein synthesis in pork by reducing the fat content. This doesn't sound terrible, right? Well, studies show that 20% of pork still has remains of ractopamine still in the pork in the store, and for that reason, American chicken is banned in 160 countries across the world!
Cheese!
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Many countries don't allow not only cheese but any American dairy products to be sold. This is because of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) which is a synthetic version of BST and is injected into cows to increase milk production. It is currently banned in 30 countries around the world because of its increased risk of various cancers.
Chicken!
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Ok, no, chicken is not banned in other countries, however, the way that Americans do chicken has been banned in many other countries! American chickens are often fed arsenic, which makes the meat appear pinker and fresher. Arsenic is literally a poison and can kill you if you eat too much.
High Fructose Syrup...
Image Source: Reddit
This kind of syrup is in a lot of our foods. It is a sweetener made from pure fructose and sugar, and can cause major health issues! Conditions like type 2 diabetes have skyrocketed because of this ingredient, and places like the United Kingdom and other European countries have strict restrictions on it!
Papaya, Corn, and Soy!
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These foods are called GMOs which means they are basically genetically modified foods! They are banned in several nations including Russia and the EU has a ban on American corn, soy, papaya, and any foods that have been genetically engineered! The reason is that they have been linked to organ damage, tumors, birth defects, and other very serious side effects...
Palm Oil...
Image Source: Twitter
Palm oil is in many foods like peanut butter and Nutella, however, it is not the best for our bodies! It can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. That being said, it also has a major effect on our world as the use of palm oil is a huge factor in deforestation, and that is actually the reason why it has been banned by the EU!
Coffee-Mate...
Image Source: Reddit
Coffee-Mate is meant to be a great add-on to your coffee, but is banned in many countries, including Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland! Why? I can hear you asking, well, it's because of something called hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils! These have been linked to heart disease!
Diabetic Baked Goods!
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Not just baked goods that are targeted toward diabetic people, but any kind of artificial sweeteners are not good for our bodies! Sweeteners such as Acesulfame K, Sucralose, and Saccharin among others have been banned by the EU, and they have even had discussions on whether to ban them completely!
Pre-Packaged Ground Beef...
Image Source: Reddit
However easy it is, many types of pre-packaged ground beef use something called pink slime... this lowers the fat content, however, it means that the meat is exposed to ammonia gas or citric acid to kill bacteria. This is not regulated and can cause significant issues in humans! It is banned in Canada and in the European Union!
Processed Meats!
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Among many reasons why processed meats are not good for our bodies, the reason they are banned in other countries might surprise you! It is not because of the process, but instead because of sodium nitrate! this is a type of salt that gives that smoky flavor and has been linked with cancer, so... yep, you guessed it, the EU banned it!
Boxed Mac And Cheese!
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Many brands of boxed mac and cheese use additives and food coloring and dye, specifically, yellow #5 and #6. These coloring agents can cause hyperactivity, increased cancer risk, and allergic reactions and so are banned in Austria, Norway, and other European countries!
Stevia...
Image Source: Reddit
Along with all the artificial sweeteners that were banned by the EU, Stevia, a natural sweetener was also banned! The reason was that there is research that shows that stevia could increase the chances of certain cancers, and can bring on male infertility as well! Stay away chaps!
Milk!
Image Source: Reddit
It is becoming less and less common in America, but some dairy farms still use rBST in their milk. However, rBST has been linked to a variety of health conditions, including high rates of mastitis in cows that contaminate the milk with pus and antibiotics... not so shocking that it has been banned in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and the EU!
Trans Fats...
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Trans fats are cheap and preserve foods for longer, however, they are known to increase the bad cholesterol levels in your body and decrease the good cholesterol levels in your body! This means strokes and heart disease is more likely! The EU has banned trans fats from any foods!
Mountain Dew!
Image Source: Reddit
So maybe not super surprising as Mountain Dew isn't the healthiest thing in the world, but something that's been used in American sodas for decades is brominated vegetable oil! This ingredient is flame-retardent and in some cases can cause skin lesions, memory loss, and nerve problems... may be a good thing it's banned in Europe and Japan!
Gatorade
image source: reddit.com
Gatorade is a sports drink staple in the US - you can't imagine a world without Gatorade, right? Well, some countries have to! Because in Europe and Japan, this drink is completely banned. That's because of the brominated vegetable oil we just spoke about that's also found in Mountain Dew!
Wheat Thins
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Wheat Thins are a very popular snack in the US, but you won't be able to find them anywhere if you're planning a trip to the UK, Japan or Europe anytime soon. This is because of a chemical found in them called BHT, which some countries don't want to take the risk dealing with!
Little Debbie Swiss Rolls
image source: reddit.com
What did Little Debbie ever do to Norway and Austria? They're the perfect sweet snack when you're craving something spongey, but they're banned in these two countries because of a certain dye that was found in them. Originally it was just the dye that was banned but Norway and Austria just thought heck, let's go all in.
Ritz Crackers
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Ritz Crackers are delicious and addictive - and that's probably because of all the trans fats they contain. Those trans fats are also the reason they're banned outside of the US, in certain European countries. It makes sense why some countries would want to limit trans fats for health reasons!
Frosted Flakes
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So that chemical we spoke about that was in Wheat Thins, BHT? That's also the issue that some countries have with Frosted Flakes, and the reason they might be banned in certain places: namely, Europe and Japan. The BHT acts as a preservative in a box of Frosted Flakes.
Skittles
image source: reddit.com
Some countries aren't able - or willing - to taste the rainbow! Norway and Sweden have put a full ban on this very colorful candy snack because of certain dyes they contain, including yellow 5 and yellow 6. When you think about it, Skittles are so artificial in color, taste and plastic-ness! So it's no surprise.
Any Citrus Sodas
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You can usually go off how artificially bright a soda is on the shelf to know whether it's likely banned in countries outside of America! Bright yellow sodas like Sun Drop - and basically any citrus sodas - have brominated vegetable oil that's banned in other countries.
A Bunch Of Other Breakfast Cereals
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Frosted Flakes isn't the only breakfast cereal taking a hit in other countries - and while there are more efforts to make healthy versions of breakfast cereals that you don't have to worry about, certain cereals like Honey Bunches of Oats and Honey Maid S'mores will also be banned because of the BHT additive.
Instant Mashed Potatoes
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We all know that convenience foods are usually pretty bad for you - bad enough to be banned in some countries! Products like Hungry Jack's Mashed Potatoes are considered to possibly have carcinogenic preservatives in them, and this is banned in the UK and Japan.
Packaged Bread Rolls And Buns
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Packaged bread products are full of preservatives, because they're needed to keep the bread fresh for longer - but because of this, they might contain some problematic ingredients that can be banned in certain countries. The culprit is an additive called potassium bromate, banned in the UK, Canada and Brazil.
Popular American Foods That Other Countries Find Gross! Twizzlers
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Twizzlers are a popular bright red American candy that lots of natives find very delicious - people outside of the US? Not so much. Twizzlers have been described as too plasticy and too artificial. And apparently it's the cherry flavor that goes down the worst compared to strawberry!
York Peppermint Patties
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A lot of people in other countries aren't a huge fan of anything tasting like mint. There are a lot of mint confectionaries on the market of course, but York Peppermint Patties are an American staple that apparently doesn't go down too well with some foreigners, who think it tastes like toothpaste!
Corn On The Cob
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Now, corn isn't exclusive to America, of course, as people in the UK particularly enjoy corn on the cob and sweetcorn, too. But corn on the cob is definitely associated with a big American BBQ paired with some meat - and to some foreigners, this is more like 'pig food' than human food! Sort of like how someone would look questionably at a 'rabbit food' lettuce leaf.
Candy Corn
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Speaking of corn! This one is of the sweet and very unhealthy variety. Candy corn is very popular, especially as Halloween candy in the US, but to some people from other countries, it's a bit... er - disgusting. The thing with this one is that even the majority of Americans agree it tastes awful!
"Dumplings"
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Dumplings are a staple if you're Chinese or a fan of Chinese cuisine, which is why you might look forward to tasting dumplings during a visit to America, too. But Chinese people - and indeed other foreigners - are usually very disappointed with the US's version of a dumpling.
Root Beer
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Root beer is a hugely popular (and refreshing) drink in the US, but to the rest of the world it can often be ignored because it tastes like 'medicine' with quite an offputting flavor. People of the UK have a similar tasting drink - Dandelion and Burdock - which is a VERY acquired taste, too.
Hot Pockets
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Hot Pockets are the ultimate 'I can't be bothered cooking' snack, but that doesn't mean they're going to be delicious pieces of gourmet cooking. Apparently, the issues that foreigners most have with this particular product is not so much the taste, but the burn potential: it burns the roof of your mouth on the outside, while being stone cold in the inside!
The Chicken And Waffles Combo
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Some people from other countries are completely nonplussed about the American tradition of putting savory chicken and sweet waffles together. We know that the balance of sweet and savory can sometimes work perfectly, and in this case it does - to Americans, at least!
Canned Cheese
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Canned cheese is convenient, and mostly disgusting (a lot of Americans would agree) but to some foreigners, it can be a travesty! We know that if you really want to enjoy cheese you should buy a delicious block of it and prepare it properly - but where's the fun in that when you can just spray it on the top of a cracker?
Hershey Chocolate
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If there's ever an insult to chocolate, it's Hershey's - at least, that's what most foreigners think. Some Americans would agree they're not the best chocolate has to offer, but they'll do to satisfy a craving! There are definitely better chocolate flavors out there in the world, though.