Surprising Foods That Are Still Not Allowed In America

Some argue that the FDA can be overbearing, but in reality, scientists and researchers work daily to ensure that they are as reasonable and as efficient as possible. The US is in the top ten countries with the strictest food laws. If you live outside the U.S., you might be surprised to learn what kinds of common food products are banned. Otherwise, are you ready to find out what you’re missing?

The state of California also banned food from the checkout aisle. What used to be a traditional place for candy and chocolate bars now forbids products that contain over 5 g of sugar or 250 mg of sodium as a way to diminish impulsive snack sales.

In Florida, it is heavily frowned upon to pick queen conch, and people can spend a long time in jail if they’re found harvesting, consuming, or bringing it from another country. Other countries have made their own conservation efforts, and Colombia even released a catchy pop song called “Conch Gone” to bring awareness to the issue.

This cheese can only be made during the end of the milking season, starting in August. Tastewise it’s meant to be salty, milky, and very creamy. Fortunately, there are pasteurized versions made in the U.S. that come very close to the real deal. 

Although it is still legal to hunt turtles in 42 countries, including Australia, Colombia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, Australia has the most casualties per year. Turtle eggs and meat have been thought to have medicinal properties, but this idea has been definitively debunked. 

It’s also illegal because of health concerns. Since these meats are minimally processed, they tend to be riddled with germs and bacteria that carry the threat of disease. For example, the Ebola virus has been linked to the eating and handling of bushmeat. 

The Food and Drug Administration made the company change its label since melatonin is not an approved food additive. Even though they had to make the image switch, the company made sky-high profits. A gas-station clerk claimed that even at $4 the piece, he sold around 40 Lazy Cakes per week before it was banned in a few states, including Arkansas.

Another reason that horse meat isn’t easy to get by is that it must first be inspected. The Congress ban on Department of Agriculture funding for horsemeat inspections is the culprit for these sanctions. Japan considers it to be a delicacy, and there have been efforts to lighten the measures in the U.S., although the trend doesn’t seem likely to catch on anytime soon.

Because milk that hasn’t been pasteurized can harbor dangerous microorganisms, it’s not ideal for human consumption. Some of the threatening microbes that can be in the liquid include Salmonella, E. Colli, Listeria, and Campylobacter, which can cause severe food poisoning, amongst other effects.

Because its preparation consists of force-feeding it and drowning it in Armagnac, it’s considered inhumane treatment, and that is heavily frowned upon, not only in the U.S. but also in the European Union countries, including France—the nation of origin for this dish. And because the bird is also endangered, with a decreasing population, it is unethical to consume.

Nowadays, fishing for personal use is only allowed in the state of Mississippi, and even so, there are a few regulations that have to be adhered to before the fish can make it out of the shore. The fish has to be above 30 inches in length, the daily limit is three, and they can be fished all year, with some exceptions. 

Believed to be a superfood full of nutrients, some argue that the distinct flavor and texture are unpleasant to the tastebuds. For sanitary reasons, blood isn’t allowed to be brought into America. This rule also excludes ti-hoeh-koe—a Taiwanese dish containing blood as an ingredient—from coming in as well.

Foodborne pathogens thrive in raw milk. They can grow and spread, creating potentially serious bodily problems. For those outside the U.S., this ban seems a bit of an overreaction. All cheese relies on bacteria in its formation—some require raw milk for its extra creamy taste.

The protected origin makes it practically impossible for anyone outside the EU to taste the plum. Even though plums are a great addition to any orchard, you couldn’t even bring the seeds as it’s against the agricultural protection laws.

The bird’s nest belongs to the swiftlet, a small bird species that makes its nest with its own saliva—a jelly-like substance that hardens when exposed to air. To many people’s surprise, it’s a rather tasteless ingredient, but it’s thought that the nutritional value is very high and can conserve youth. That’s why it’s known as “The caviar of the East.”

In the 80s, around one person died per week due to pufferfish consumption. Nowadays, thanks to better training from chefs, the number has reduced to about six deaths per year. So it comes as no surprise that the U.S. has placed a ban on them. The poison they carry—tetrodotoxin—is worse than cyanide.

The problem with the brie found in supermarkets is that pasteurized milk can’t replace the chemical processes that unpasteurized milk offers. The natural microflora kept in real brie is the main ingredient that makes this cheese achieve its distinctive taste. 

Since 1973, the importation of raw ackee into the U.S. has been illegal. But all hope is not lost, as it is possible to consume ackee from its canned version. The ban on canned ackee has been lifted for a few years, although only for supervised FDA-approved producers.

It’s probably obvious why this cheese is strictly forbidden in the U.S. Not only does it contain raw sheep milk—and possibly live creatures—but the cheese itself can potentially cause allergies, vomiting, and food poisoning. It’s probably an acquired taste, anyway. 

The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act was introduced in 2019 but didn’t pass after being revised by the Senate. This bill would make it illegal to possess, sell, buy or transport shark fins in the entirety of the United States—something that, so far, nobody has not been able to achieve.

Absinthe in the U.S. is only allowed if it’s thujone-free, a component that is found in wormwood, the main flavoring component in the drink. And even though the green fairy is a myth, people who enjoy the strong anise flavor can fall prey to drinking heavy quantities of the spirit. The 60%-70% alcohol level might be the real culprit of the bad reputation it has today.

Since 1971, the United States Department of Agriculture has imposed restrictions on any dish containing livestock lungs. It is difficult to properly clean the product during the butchering process, increasing the possibility of food-borne illnesses.

Only one company in the U.S. has the license to sell real beluga sturgeon caviar due to its efforts to repopulate the species with promising results. Sturgeon AquaFarms donates around 160,000 fertilized beluga eggs a year to the Caspian sea region.

The problem resides in a law that forbids candy with non-edible items inside. That’s an accurate description of the chocolatey eggs, inevitably restricting their acceptance into the country. In 2017, there was an effort to bring them to U.S. markets by dividing the toy from the chocolate. The packaging was still very attractive, but they didn’t take off as much as the company predicted.

In natural ingredients such as cinnamon, sweet basil, nutmeg, mace, anise, and black pepper, the amount of safrole (the active ingredient in sassafras oil) is minimum, which is why these spices were not forbidden by law. In other countries, the oil is used as a flavoring agent, an eye infection treatment, and aromatherapy.

Swan isn’t a common dish nowadays. In 16th-century England, it was regarded as a luxurious dish eaten by royalty during Elizabeth I’s reign. The taste, allegedly, isn’t far from duck or geese, although sources claim it to have a fishier taste.

In 2012, the fluorescent red snacks were deemed unhealthy and banned at schools in the states of California, New Mexico, and Illinois—meaning they won’t be served or sold at school, and if any child brings them for lunch, they will have the snack confiscated.

Hepatic steatosis makes the ducks’ livers grow ten times their normal size. The dish is considered a delicacy in France and is commonly eaten in cold weather, delivering a buttery, nutty, and a rather delicate flavor.

Although technically not banned, the topic has caused quite a stir, as the component that turns these sprinkles silver wasn’t intended to be used as a food additive. In the 70s, the FDA attempted to deter people from eating silver dragées by claiming that they would turn skin blue-gray if consumed.

For example, époisse cheese has a distinct bold taste and stinging smell that is unattainable without raw milk and a short-aging process. But these methods and ingredients can potentially propagate outbreaks of diseases, such as Listeria. In France, époisse is forbidden on the metro. Not for the same reasons as in the U.S.—but because of its pungent smell.