So many chemicals are allowed in food and drink sold here. Most are probably safe for consumers to eat. It’s interesting, though, just how many substances are in our food in America.
Some ingredients or entire dishes that are common elsewhere are strictly banned from American plates. The reasons vary, with some related to health or perhaps animal welfare. Sometimes it’s tied to unusual, old ways of preparing food. These items show different rules and food cultures globally.
There is a long list of foods banned from being imported into the U.S. This includes unusual animal parts and also live bugs in some foods. We look at a few interesting ones that are not allowed at American customs or in markets, even if people eat them without a second thought elsewhere.
1. **Haggis (Sheep Lungs)**: When you think of Scottish meals, haggis often comes to mind. It is a savory pudding dish that contains sheep’s pluck, meaning the heart, liver, and lungs. These are mixed with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt. This mixture is then put into the animal’s stomach and boiled. It is the national dish of Scotland, often celebrated in poems and traditional ways.
But haggis is missing from store shelves in America, despite its cultural importance and popularity in Scotland. The main reason is one key thing: sheep lung. The FDA has banned the use of lungs entirely in any food product. They believe that lungs might easily carry viruses from animals.
Chefs can make a domestic version in the U.S. if they are clever, but sheep lungs must not be used. People wanting a truly authentic experience must travel across the pond for that certain ingredient. William Wallace might be sad, saying that a person has not truly lived without tasting the real dish.
2. **Fresh Black Pudding**: Another food often eaten in British and Irish breakfasts is black pudding. It is a kind of sausage made from pig’s blood. It contains fat from pork or suet from beef. Cereal is also used, usually oatmeal or barley grains. Its color is dark, and this comes from the blood—surprisingly, it is blood. This sets it apart from white pudding, which is lighter.
Like haggis, bringing fresh black pudding into America is difficult. This is mostly because it contains blood and, in old methods of making it, also includes organs. Makers of food containing blood need strict regulations from the FDA, including getting approval beforehand and submitting papers detailing how it is made and what is inside.
Regulations at US customs add another rule. Blood sausage can be brought into personal bags only if it is fully cooked commercially and sealed inside a can or jar. The fresh kind is strictly not allowed. Old recipes for black pudding go back many centuries. They often included lungs, maybe livers, and also hearts. So, the presence of lungs in many old recipes puts fresh imported black pudding on the FDA’s ban list. It is similar to haggis in this way. But people here can make their own versions freely as long as they follow US regulations for ingredients.
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3. **Casu Marzu (Live Maggots)**: This one might make your skin crawl. Casu marzu is a cheese made from sheep’s milk in Sardinia. It literally means “rotten cheese.” It gets its name from being purposefully full of living insect larvae. These are the maggots of a fly called the cheese skipper fly. The maggots eat the cheese they are in, breaking down its fat inside. This creates a very soft, almost flowing texture. It also produces a strong smell.
The story goes that this started because they had to do it, before fridges were common. Old cheese would become full of maggots and spoil. But hungry shepherds decided to try it anyway. They found the taste surprisingly appealing. Now, farmers raising dairy animals create conditions on purpose to attract the fly so that it lays eggs on the cheese.
This cheese is old and many people like it locally in Sardinia. However, it is banned from being sold in America, as well as in the European Union, even in Italy, and even in some parts of Sardinia itself. The main health concern is the maggots. They might not be digested once someone eats them, if they survive the stomach acid. These larvae are tough and can cause a problem inside, known as intestinal myiasis, which means they disrupt things inside the intestines. So, while some think it is a good food to eat, the risk of internal parasites means this cheese is completely not allowed in America.
4. **Raw Ackee**: The fruit called ackee is a big part of Jamaican culture. It is their national fruit and is also a key ingredient in a beloved national dish, Ackee and Saltfish. Its outer skin is red, yellow, and bright. It splits open to reveal big, black, and shiny seeds. These sit in parts that are yellow and have a creamy appearance. It looks like it belongs in a tropical fruit basket.
But its appearance can be deceiving. Raw ackee is dangerous and contains poison. The fruit contains substances called hypoglycin A and B, which are amino acids. If you eat them before the fruit is fully ripe and properly prepared, they can cause a sickness called “Jamaican Vomiting Sickness.” This sickness is severe and can cause excessive vomiting. It also lowers blood pressure significantly. In severe cases, it can even cause death.
Fresh ackee cannot be imported into America due to the poisons in the raw fruit. But don’t worry, you can still try Jamaica’s famous dish! Commercially canned ackee is readily available in the U.S. This is because it is thoroughly cooked during the canning process. Cooking removes the harmful toxins, making the fruit safe to eat. So, definitely do not pick raw ackee from a tree unless you know exactly what you are doing. However, you can safely enjoy ackee and saltfish by using the canned variety available here in the States.
Read more about: 10 Foods You Should Never Eat Raw and Why It’s Risky
5. **Ortolan**: This bird is small and looks plain. It is also a songbird. But it sparks much debate about food. It is completely banned in America. The ortolan bunting travels from place to place. It is considered a very high-end food in traditional French cuisine. It is known for providing a very fatty and flavorful taste when eaten.
The way it is prepared sparks much of the debate. The caught birds are placed in dark boxes. They are fed grains and figs until they double their normal weight. Then, they are usually drowned in Armagnac brandy until they die. This method is considered cruel by many people, which is part of the reason why the bird is now legally protected.
The traditional way of eating it is also quite odd. This adds to its strangeness and, for some, makes them uncomfortable. People who eat ortolan usually consume the whole bird, including bones, brains, and everything else. Only the beak is left behind. They often cover their heads with a towel while eating, perhaps to better smell the aroma or, as some say, to hide from God due to shame or the mess made. Selling ortolan is now illegal in the U.S. and the European Union, even in France where it was once eaten. This is due to concerns about animal cruelty and the negative impact of overhunting. This is driven by illegal demand. Unfortunately, people still want it on the black market, which further endangers the bird species.
6. **Bushmeat**: Thinking about unusual foods from other places, wild animals sometimes come to mind. But one type of meat from wild animals is called bushmeat, which carries significant risks and is completely banned from being brought into the U.S. Bushmeat refers to meat from animals not raised on farms, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, hunted in tropical areas, especially in Africa, where farming regular animals can be difficult or costly.
Local people in many areas do eat bushmeat, which is a reality for them. However, trying to bring it across the U.S. border is not tolerated at all. U.S. customs officials can seize and destroy any bushmeat they find immediately. If caught, not only can the bushmeat be taken away, but also your non-food items if they have touched the meat. Moreover, heavy fines may be imposed, possibly up to $250,000.
The main reason for this strict ban is the high risk of spreading diseases from animals to humans, known as zoonotic diseases. Wild animals can carry many germs, and bushmeat is often prepared using methods like salting and drying, which do not kill harmful germs or viruses. This poses a significant public health danger. Dangerous diseases like Ebola have been linked to the handling and consumption of bushmeat. So, while trying meat from animals like antelopes or rhinos might sound like an adventure, it is important to only eat meat that is thoroughly cooked and consumed locally. Never attempt to bring it back home with you.
7. **Shark Fins**: Soup made with shark fin has been an old and special food for centuries in some Asian cuisines. People liked its texture, and it symbolized status. Some even thought it was beneficial for health. However, the way shark fins are obtained has sparked criticism and led to bans in many places, including in America.
The practice known as “shark finning” involves catching a shark, cutting off its fins, often while the animal is still alive, and then throwing the finless body back into the ocean. The shark, unable to swim, sinks and dies from suffocation, predation, or blood loss. This method is extremely cruel and wasteful, severely depleting shark populations worldwide. Many species are now endangered.
In 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, making it illegal to sell or buy shark fins or products containing shark fins within the United States, with very few exceptions. This law was enacted due to the environmental damage and ethical concerns raised by the finning trade. Animal conservationists have pointed out that finning is a slow and cruel form of death, leaving the shark helpless and certain to die.
We have explored some unusual whole foods from around the world, which are not commonly found on American dinner plates for various reasons, such as their preparation methods or natural origins. However, let’s also consider what goes into the foods we eat daily. Many ingredients in our packaged goods are perceived very differently elsewhere. The FDA has been slow to address many of these issues, but states are beginning to take matters into their own hands. Now, let’s delve into some of these controversial additives and chemicals.
8. **Titanium Dioxide**: You probably don’t even notice this chemical. It’s added to food to make items look whiter or brighter, as you can see. Imagine those colorful candies that really stand out. Titanium dioxide often helps enhance that visual appeal. It’s found in products like U.S. Skittles to achieve that signature rainbow look.
Not everyone thinks this brightener should be in our food. Some research links titanium dioxide to potential health concerns. These concerns include genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and neurotoxicity resulting from its consumption. Interestingly, it’s in American Skittles but not in the European Union version. This illustrates how food additive regulations vary globally. It makes you wonder why it’s acceptable here but not elsewhere.
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