It’s surprising to me how many common foodstuffs that Americans take for granted are so toxic, contribute to obesity and so many of the health problems that plague our great country. We need to collectively vote with our paychecks and let these manufacturers know that we don’t want to be poisoned any longer. The best way to start that process is by education of the masses!
Common U.S. foods that are banned in other countries
• The Stacker
• Apr 9, 2019
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Consumers in the United States put their trust in organizations such as the Food and Drug
Administration and Department of Agriculture to keep packaged foods, fish, and livestock production
safe, but to what standards?
Many American food additives (think flame retardants and suspected carcinogens) and production
standards that have been approved domestically are banned or strictly regulated abroad. This is all
in addition to the U.S.’s liberal policies on genetically modified organisms, which are more restricted
or banned outright in other countries as well.
What chemicals are lurking in the ingredients of some of America’s favorite foods? What production
practices are standardized in the United States but illegal in other parts of the world?
Scroll through Stacker’s list to discover 30 everyday American food products with ingredients that
are banned in other countries.
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Rolling out and baking these flaky rolls couldn’t be easier. But their ingredients aren’t that simple.
The dough contains artificial colors Yellow 5 and Red 40, which are restricted in Europe and illegal in
Norway and Austria.
Little Debbie Swiss Rolls
The popular dessert in the United States contains food dyes Yellow 5 and Red 40. While they now
are permitted in the European Union, they have to carry warnings that they cause adverse effects in
children. They are also banned in foods for infants and young children. No such warning is required
domestically. Norway and Austria have banned the chocolate treats outright.
Sunkist Soda
The citrus drink contains artificial colors that are restricted in Europe. Products that contain Yellow 6
and Red 40 must include warning labels in the European Union. These dyes are also banned in
Norway and Austria.
Pillsbury Pie Crust
Pillsbury brings the convenience of a ready-made pie crust to kitchens across the country. However,
this product is banned in the United Kingdom, Japan, and parts of Europe because it contains both
BHA and BHT. The substances are suspected to be carcinogenic and have been linked to impaired
blood clotting.
Lucky Charms
This colorful breakfast cereal gets its rainbow hue by using additives Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red
40, which must contain warning labels in the European Union. They are also banned in Norway and
Austria. They are permitted in the U.S. even though they are known to cause itching and hives.
Gatorade
This sports drink claims to replenish electrolytes, but it also contains food dyes Yellow 5 and Yellow
- These artificial colors are banned in foods for infants and children in the European Union, and
they must also carry warnings on all other products there. They are completely banned in Norway
and Austria.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
This sweetener—made from pure fructose and sugar—is linked to a variety of ailments like obesity
and Type 2 diabetes. It’s found in everything from beverages to cereals and ice cream. While it isn’t
banned specifically in any country, the U.K. and some European countries have restricted the
products and placed it under quota limitations.
Pop-Tarts
The colorful breakfast pastry contains food dyes Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40, which are still
deemed safe to eat domestically but are partially banned in the European Union.
Drumstick frozen dairy desserts
Drumstick uses carrageenan for texture in its ice cream, but the additive that is derived from
seaweed can affect the human digestive system. The adverse effects have caused the European
Union to limit it in products like baby food.
Raspberry Jell-O
The popular jiggling dessert is low in calories and free from artificial sweeteners like high fructose
corn syrup. But its color is far from natural. It contains Red 40, which is restricted in Europe and
illegal in Norway and Austria.
Frosted Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Rice
Krispies
These popular breakfast cereals contain BHT, a flavor enhancer, which has long been studied for its
potentially carcinogenic properties. (The evidence is inconclusive.) It is banned in Japan and the
European Union.
Ritz Crackers
Nabisco’s Ritz is the third leading cracker brand in the United States. Its namesake cracker contains
partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which is a trans-fat that is currently banned domestically and
in many other countries like Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark.
Farm-raised salmon
People in the United States love their salmon. However, farm-raised salmon available in America is
fed astaxanthin to give it its coral color. Salmon containing this petrochemical is banned for
consumption in Australia and New Zealand.
Genetically engineered papaya
In the United States and parts of Asia, farmers are cultivating virus-resistant variants of the fruit.
These genetically engineered off-shoots are legal to eat in the U.S. and Canada, but illegal in the
European Union.
Bread tainted with potassium bromate
Potassium bromate is added to bread dough as a strengthener that creates a higher rise, reduces
baking time and cost, and gives finished loaves a bright white color. But the chemical is also linked
to cancer, nervous system damage, and kidney damage. Potassium bromate is banned in the United
Kingdom, Canada, Peru, and many other countries, but still ubiquitous in many American bread
products including bagel chips, rolls, and even breadcrumbs.
Meat with ractopamine
In the United States, farmers use ractopamine to increase lean muscle growth in livestock, including
in 40% to 60% of American pigs. Elsewhere, 160 nations—including the European Union, Russia,
and China—ban the use of the drug in meat production.
Wheat Thins
To add freshness to a package of Wheat Thins, Nabisco adds BHT to the packaging. The chemical
is banned in the United Kingdom, Japan, and parts of Europe.
Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix
Baking brownies couldn’t be easier with the popular mix. However, a closer look at the ingredients
reveals that the product still contains trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated soybean and/or
cottonseed oil. Trans fats were recently banned in the U.S., but a few still remain. They are also
banned in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark.
Dairy with rBST or rBGH hormones
Milk in the United States, unless marked otherwise, is treated with either rBST or rBGH, an artificial
hormone that stimulates milk production. The FDA says there is no difference in the milk produced
by cows treated with the hormone, but countries like Canada and those in the European Union ban
it.
Farmer John Pork Breakfast Sausage Links
The breakfast food uses flavor enhancer BHT. This is a suspected carcinogen, which is banned in
the European Union and Japan.
Fresca
This grapefruit flavored citrus drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company contains flame
retardant bromine to prevent separation of ingredients. BVO is banned in Europe.
Chicken that’s been chlorinated
Chicken produced in the United States gets washed in chlorine to reduce its risk of spreading
disease and illness like salmonella. This practice is banned in the United Kingdom and the European
Union because it promotes unsanitary farming practices.
Tostitos Con Queso Dip
The bright color of Tostitos Con Queso Dip is derived by food additives Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.
These artificial colors are banned in Norway and Austria and must contain warnings on labels in the
European Union.
Skittles
When consumers are tasting the rainbow of this popular candy, they are also ingesting food dyes
Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40. These dyes have been known to have adverse effects on young
children. They are banned in foods for infants in the European Union, and foods that contain the
dyes must carry a warning label. Norway and Austria ban them completely.
Pillsbury Biscuits
The Pillsbury doughboy’s biscuits may puff up light and fluffy. However, these baked goods also
contain trans fats in the form of partially hydrogenated soybean oil, which is known to cause heart
disease.
Stove Top stuffing
You can make stuffing in just five minutes with this popular Kraft product. But at what cost? The mix
contains preservatives BHA and BHT, which are suspected to be carcinogenic and to impair blood
clotting. This has caused these preservatives to be banned in the United Kingdom, Japan, and
several European countries.
Arby’s Sourdough Breakfast Bread, croissant, and
French toast Sticks
The fast-food chain uses the chemical azodicarbonamide as a whitening agent and dough
conditioner in its baked goods. Although its use is decreasing in the United States because of
concerns that it is a carcinogen, the FDA still permits it. It is banned in Europe.
Mountain Dew
The citrus-flavored soft drink uses brominated vegetable oil as an emulsifier. BVO is banned in
Japan and the European Union because it contains bromine, the element found in brominated flame
retardants, which can build up in the body and potentially lead to memory loss, as well as skin and
nerve problems.
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