There are plenty of foods that are banned in the United States that are completely normal to eat in other countries. Lots of these foods seem so harmless, it's a wonder why they are even banned at all in the U.S. From traditional Scottish delicacies to horse meat, you're missing out on these foods in the states.
Wait until you see why the U.S. "” and the European Union "” has a ban on a certain Italian cheese.
Haggis
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Haggis is a traditional Scottish delicacy. Characterized as a savory pudding, it primarily consists of sheep's pluck, which is a combination of its heart, liver, and lungs. Haggis is traditionally encased and cooked in the sheep's own stomach, though in modern times artificial casings and puff pastry have been used.
The U.S. has banned the importation of haggis due to the fact that it contains sheep's lung. All animal lungs are banned by the USDA since bodily fluids such as phlegm and stomach acid could enter the lungs during the slaughtering process.
Kinder Surprise
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Kinder Surprise or Kinder Eggs are a popular European candy consisting of a hollow chocolate egg that usually contains a small toy on the inside. Traditionally, the toy requires some minor assembly.
Kinder eggs have been banned in the U.S. for safety concerns since children who weren't careful ran the risk of choking on the toy inside while consuming the chocolate. For this very reason, Nestlé Wonder Balls were temporarily put out of production, until they decided to replace the toy inside with more candy. Though Kinder Surprise eggs are legally sold in Canada and Mexico, it is still illegal to import them across the U.S. border.
Shark Fin
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Shark fins are also illegal to consume in the U.S. Traditionally served as shark fin soup in China and Vietnam, consumption of the soup dates all the way back to the 14th century.
Sale and possession of shark fins have been effectively banned in the U.S. both for ethical reasons and to preserve the shark population. Consumption of shark fin is illegal due to the way it is harvested. "Shark finning" typically includes harvesting a shark's fin and throwing the rest of the animal back into the ocean, dead or alive. Because of this, consumption of shark fin has gone down significantly in modern-day China.
You might not be open to eating shark fin, but you definitely won't want to try a certain cheese!
Sassafras
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Sassafras is a tree native to the eastern U.S. Native Americans. Early settlers have long used it as an herbal supplement as well as in many recipes ranging from gumbos to tea. It is particularly popular for being the primary flavor of traditional root beer.
However, the FDA banned the use of sassafras bark or oil as a food flavoring or additive. In the mid-to-late 19th century, studies have shown that safrole, a major component of sassafras oil, contains high amounts of carcinogens that can pose a hazardous threat if consumed in high amounts.
Ackee
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Ackee is a fruit that hails from the same family as the lychee. Native to West Africa, Ackee is most commonly found and consumed in Jamaica and is featured in various Caribbean cuisines. Unfortunately, however, the U.S. maintains a ban on imports of ackee fruits and products.
Ackee is high in the toxin hypoglycin A, which diminishes in the edible portion of the fruit when it is fully ripened. The same can't be said for the rind and the seeds of the fruit, which retain high concentrations of the toxins that can be hazardous if the fruit is not processed properly.
Casu Marzu
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Casu marzu is a cheese native to the Italian region of Sardinia in the Mediterranean. The production of casu marzu is so alarming that it is not only banned in the U.S., but the European Union has outlawed it as well.
Casu marzu is a type of pecorino cheese that has been left out for cheese flies to lay their eggs in. Once the eggs hatch, thousands of maggots make their way around the cheese, digesting and breaking down the fats so that the cheese is fermented. Casu marzu aficionados eat the cheese with the maggots still crawling around. Only when the maggots have died is the cheese considered unconsumable.
A lot of people probably think eating casu marzu is gross, but would it be as gross as eating a certain animal?
Fugu
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Fugu is a Japanese pufferfish traditionally served as sashimi and featured in other Japanese cuisines. While it is considered a delicacy, fugu consumption is incredibly risky due to the fact that it is lethally poisonous. Fugu fish have high amounts of tetrodotoxin and if the fish isn't properly prepared and rid of the toxins, there can be fatal consequences.
Fugu's native Japan even has tight restrictions on its availability and while it isn't necessarily banned in the U.S., there are very few restaurants where you can try it. The European Union went the safe route and has banned fugu sales altogether.
Beluga Caviar
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Beluga caviar is caviar comprised of the roe (fish eggs) of the beluga sturgeon, a fish native to the Caspian and Black Seas that is unrelated to the beluga whale. Beluga caviar is exclusive and incredibly expensive, with market prices reportedly starting at around $7,000.
In the early 2000s, the U.S. has banned imports of beluga caviar and other beluga products since the beluga sturgeon is listed internationally as an endangered species. Though these fish can live over 100 years, their populations have diminished considerably due to poaching and overharvesting. Because the producing counties failed to apply regulations on conservation efforts, trade with these regions has been suspended.
Mirabelle Plums
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The mirabelle plum is a small, sweet plum primarily grown in the north-eastern region of France. The region has the ideal climate and soil composition of the mirabelle plum, which is why 80 percent of its global production comes from there.
What can be so bad about this adorable fruit? Well, nothing actually. But still, there's a federal ban on import of the mirabelle plum since it has a "protected origin-destination," according to some sources. This means that the FDA has a trade agreement with France to protect their market, which makes obtaining these little guys nearly impossible for Americans.
Wait until you see what kind of meat is banned "” and for good reason!
Unpasteurized Milk
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There is so much controversy around raw, unpasteurized milk in the U.S. but it isn't completely illegal. Pro-raw milk constituents argue that there are many benefits to its consumption, but their detractors say that you also run the risk of ingesting potentially harmful microbes and bacteria.
As a result, half of America has a ban on unpasteurized milk but it isn't necessarily that hard to get your hands on. There are laws that state you can get it directly from farmers, while some states allow its sale in stores so long as they are properly labeled to let the consumer know what they're getting themselves into.
Absinthe
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Absinthe used to be banned in the U.S. "” sort of. As the 20th century came around, absinthe was believed to cause hallucinations and sometimes death. As a result, absinthe was banned for nearly 100 years.
The reason for this was because absinthe contained trace amounts of the toxic chemical thujone, which if ingested in high concentrations can lead to convulsions and delirium. But it wasn't until modern-day scientists realized absinthe didn't actually contain enough thujone to be fatal that it has become "legal" again. It was never technically illegal, but for some time most people weren't aware of the technicalities surrounding its regulation to know this.
Horse Meat
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In 2007, the U.S. banned horse meat after it stripped funds for federal horse slaughter inspections, though that probably didn't need to happen for horse meat consumption to come to a halt. Compared to other parts of the world, eating horse meat is taboo in a majority of the U.S. and many western countries.
Historically, horses have become regarded as companions and a necessary tool for warfare. Therefore eating horse is comparable to eating dog, which despite being unthinkable in America, some parts of the world also do. Still, horse meat is seen as a delicacy in some countries and some say that it's healthier than eating beef.
You can't imagine eating a horse, but you'd be surprised at the lengths people go to in order to eat these birds!
Foie Gras
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Though foie gras isn't banned all across the U.S., California, in particular, has a problem with it. Foie gras is a specially fattened goose or duck liver that is considered a French delicacy.
It is banned in California and its consumption is quite controversial "” even in France "” primarily on ethical grounds. Some foie gras producers are completely inhumane, as the ducks or geese are kept stationary in cages and force-fed through tubes multiple times a day to fatten their livers. However, there are more humane ways of producing foie gras, which is why it isn't completely banned.
Bushmeat
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bans the import, sale, and consumption of bushmeat. Bush refers to the forest and savannahs of rural Africa, so bushmeat consists of animals such as monkeys, apes, antelopes, and elephants. Though hunting these animals is a necessity for rural African communities who rely on bushmeat for sustenance, there are people who poach and hunt these animals inhumanely for personal gain.
Believe it or not, illegal bushmeat trade is a problem in North America and U.S. Customs reportedly confiscated upwards of 69,000 bushmeat items in the mid-2000s. Not only is this inhumane, but people could possibly contract dangerous diseases not common in the U.S. from eating bushmeat.
Bird's Nests
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Edible bird's nests are created by swiftlets whose saliva solidifies to create their nests. These nests have been harvested for human consumption, primarily in China, where it has been used in their cuisine for hundreds of years. Legend has it that regular consumption of these nests promotes good health and long life. The most popular way to consume it is in bird's nest soup.
Swiftlets have since been determined an endangered species, which is why there are tight restrictions on bird nest consumption, even becoming rare "” and therefore pretty expensive "” in China. In addition to the environmental concerns, there are also worries over importing the avian flu through these nests.
Edible bird's nests may be hard to come by in the U.S., but you probably would never see a certain actual bird being eaten!
Queen Conch
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In Florida, it is illegal to harvest Queen Conch, a large marine mollusk whose soft-bodied animal falls in the same category as clams and oysters. Despite its ban, the U.S. accounts for 80 percent of the world's consumption of internationally traded queen conch that mostly comes from the Caribbean.
Queen conch primarily grows in shallow waters and coral reefs. That, combined with its slow maturation rate have made this animal susceptible to over-fishing and as a result, is considered an endangered species. Even though you can't legally harvest it in Florida, you can still find other ways to get your hands on some imported conch.
Mangosteen
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Mangosteen is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia, the fruits of which are harvested and coveted for their numerous health benefits. Until recently, mangosteen has been banned from import into the U.S. because there were concerns over introducing the Asian fruit fly into North America.
The ban on mangosteen imports has since been lifted, but the imports must undergo an irradiation process to ensure that no foreign insects or animals will make it into the country.
Ortolan
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An ortolan is a tiny songbird whose average weight is only one ounce. Ortolans are primarily found in the warmer climates of Europe around the south of France, where their consumption is quite controversial since they've become a vulnerable species at the hands of poachers. Also, their capture and killing are considered by many to be cruel as they are kept in dark traps, gorged with grain to fatten up, then drowned in brandy which also marinates them before they are cooked.
It is apparently a ritual to eat these birds with a napkin covering your head to hide the fact that you are partaking in something considered very shameful.
Redfish
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The sale of Redfish, or red drum as it is known in some regions, has been banned in the U.S., with the exception of Mississippi. In the 1980s, chef Paul Prudhomme's Cajun-style blackened redfish because so popular, that consumption of redfish surged and as a result, overfishing has nearly led to its extinction.
While you can fish for the red drum for personal use, you cannot fish for it in federal and most state waters and sell it for profit. This is in an attempt to regrow its population.
Sodium Cyclamate
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Sodium cyclamate is an artificial sweetener that is banned in the U.S., but oddly enough is completely legal and safe for consumption in most countries in the rest of the world.
In 1970, the FDA ordered a total ban on the use of sodium cyclamate because inconclusive research found that the sweetener had traces of carcinogens in it. Because it is safe to eat in other countries, there have been fruitless campaigns for U.S. agencies to reconsider its legality.
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