When it comes to food, we all have different tastes – but some ingredients and products are more controversial than you might expect. From kebabs to ketchup and from poppy seeds to popcorn, we've rounded up some of the most surprising foods and drinks that have been banned or restricted over the years.
In the US, 'raw almonds' are, in fact, not actually raw; instead, they're pasteurised. It's illegal to sell truly raw almonds as they're thought to carry a risk of salmonella, which can cause fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Happily, the way they're treated – usually through steaming or roasting – doesn't affect the taste.
Jelly sweets containing a gelling agent called konjac are banned in the European Union, Australia and numerous other countries, as their texture is thought to make them a choking hazard – especially for children. The most commonly banned konjac-containing products are miniature jelly cups with peel-off lids.
The Singaporean government took keeping the streets clean to a new level when it decided to ban chewing gum in 1992. The only exception – brought in through changes to the law in 2004 – is 'therapeutic' gum (including nicotine gum or gum prescribed for medical purposes), which can be found in pharmacies.
Chewing gum isn't the only food that can land you in hot water in Singapore. While poppy seeds are unlikely to get you high, they can contain traces of opiates, and as such are classified as prohibited goods by the country's Central Narcotics Bureau. You can import them, but only once they've been cleared by Singapore's Health Sciences Authority.
This unique fruit is much-loved across Southeast Asia, where it's eaten on a regular basis – despite its incredible smell. The odour has been described as everything from rotting onions or gym socks to sewage or decaying flesh, and it lingers. So much so that an Australian university was evacuated due to the smell of the pungent fruit in 2018, since it was mistaken for a gas leak. It's no surprise, then, that the fruit has been banned in some public spaces and on public transport in countries including Singapore.
In an effort to celebrate Italy's rich food culture, Verona's government imposed a controversial ruling that food sold in the UNESCO-listed city should be authentically Italian – meaning that the opening of new kebab shops and other similar fast food joints was banned. Other Italian cities, including Venice, have since introduced similar rules. However, some have seen the ruling, which exclusively affects 'ethnic' food outlets, as discriminatory towards immigrants.
Ketchup has been at the centre of plenty of food controversies over the years. France once banned it from primary school meals, while in the UK some Premier League managers have banned it in club canteens. Perhaps the highest profile international ruckus, however, was when Israel ruled that Heinz had to label its ketchup as 'tomato seasoning' because it doesn't contain enough tomatoes to be called ketchup.
The production of French delicacy foie gras, made from the fatty livers of ducks and geese, is widely criticised. The birds are force-fed via a metal tube until their liver has enlarged to up to ten times its usual size. Several countries have banned production, and in some cases imports of the product, due to concerns over animal cruelty.
Raw or unpasteurised milk might be widely consumed in Europe, with proponents raving about its richer taste, but it's banned in more than 20 US states and in Canada. Why? Unpasteurised dairy products can spread listeria, salmonella, E.coli and campylobacter.
They might be a millennial food staple, but some restaurants are calling time on the ubiquitous inclusion of avocados in everyday dishes. One of the first to ban the ingredient was London restaurant Firedog, whose head chef declared: “We’re frankly bored of seeing it on every breakfast and brunch menu.” Other restaurants have followed suit, citing concerns over the food's environmental impact.
The poisonous blowfish fugu is considered a delicacy in Japan and Korea – but eating it has been compared to playing Russian roulette. Fugu contains a dangerous neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, and unless the fish is prepared correctly it can cause death by paralysing the muscles, leading to asphyxiation. It's banned in Europe and can only be prepared by specially licensed chefs in Japan.
A traditional Sardinian delicacy, casu marzu translates to 'rotten cheese', and is prepared by injecting fly larvae inside Pecorino cheese. The larvae digest the cheese, bringing it to a new level of fermentation. Most of the time it’s eaten with larvae still inside, which is dangerous. Gastric acid does not destroy the larvae, which can end up in the intestines, attacking the organs. Despite its roots, the smelly and dangerous dish is banned in the European Union, as well as in the USA.
Don't worry, there aren't any harmful ingredients in Kinder chocolate – the reason this popular sweet treat is banned in the US is because the placement of the toy inside the chocolate egg is considered dangerous. A non-edible object inside an edible one is classed as a choking hazard by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Happily, an alternative product, Kinder Joy (which is considered safer), is now available.
The so-called 'green fairy' might have inspired many artists, poets and writers, but for years it was outlawed in the USA. For a long time it was thought that the chemical thujone, derived from the wormwood used to infuse the spirit, had highly hallucinogenic properties. It turns out these mind-altering effects were most likely overestimated and, as such, regulations on absinthe have been revised. Still, only absinthe that contains less than 10 parts per million of thujone is now legal, and this is closely controlled.
With the Beluga sturgeon now critically endangered, the sale of its roe – more commonly known as Beluga caviar – has been made illegal in some countries. The US banned all imports in 2005 but has since slightly relaxed the rules, allowing caviar from farmed sturgeon and those caught within strict fishing quotas now in place in the Caspian Sea.
If you want an authentic taste of the national dish of Scotland, your best bet might be to visit the country itself. While variants abound, true haggis consists of minced pluck (the liver, lungs and heart of a sheep) mixed with oats, onions, suet, salt, pepper and spices, and cooked in the animal’s stomach. It’s been banned in the US for nearly fifty years as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) deems sheep lungs unfit for human consumption.
This small songbird was once considered a delicacy in France, sometimes fattened to twice its normal size before being drowned and cooked in brandy, then served whole. The French government and the European Union have imposed various bans over the years, but the black market continues to thrive.
Not familiar with Scotland's neon-orange fizzy drink (and much-famed hangover cure)? That could be because it's banned from your local store. Canada is among the countries to restrict its sale, linking the food colouring Ponceau 4R (present in the classic formulation of the product) to hyperactivity. The country does, however, allow 'compliant formulations' of the product that do not contain this ingredient. Irn-Bru was also banned at Donald Trump's Scottish golf resort over fears it would stain the carpet.
They might be some of the world's most recognisable sweets, with entire shops dedicated to selling related merchandise, but in 2016 M&M's lost a long trademark battle with Swedish chocolate-covered peanut brand Marabou. It meant it could no longer use the lowercase 'm&m' lettering on its packaging, effectively banning the sweets from being sold. All was not lost for Swedish fans of the multi-coloured candy though, as you can now buy M&M's there once more – but with capital letters on the packaging instead.
With the tagline 'love it or hate it', the yeast spread Marmite is so embedded in British culture that it's become one of the most confiscated items at airport security. Usually it's allowed abroad (as long as the pot complies with airport security regulations), but in Denmark it's another story. In 2011, the country restricted the sale of Marmite due to the fact that it's fortified with additional vitamins and minerals.
A caffeine hit wasn't always accepted as the only way to start the day. Not only did the Catholic church initially try to ban coffee drinking from getting a foothold in Europe in the 16th century, but in 1675, the English king Charles II attempted to ban coffee shops altogether. He feared they were serving as a meeting place for activists, and brewing as much discontent as they were coffee (which they were). However, the ban was redacted two days before it was due to be put in place.
Although shark fins are commonly used in some parts of Asia for soup, the practice of shark finning is widely condemned. This is not just due to the shrinking shark population, but also the cruelty of the practice by which the fins are removed. Shark fins are typically cut off while the shark is still alive, and the animal is then thrown back into the water to die. The US, Canada and the UK have all moved to ban the trade of shark fins in the past few years, and one of Hong Kong’s major restaurant chains has taken shark fins off its menus for good.
If you like your burgers rare, you might be out of luck in some places. From Food Standards Scotland to the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand, various professional bodies have laid down regulations about how well-cooked burgers must be. Unlike a steak – which usually only has bacteria on the outside, so searing it and leaving the centre rare is safe – beef burgers may have bugs on the inside of the patty. Left uncooked, they could potentially cause illness.
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Believe it or not, certain types of these harmless-looking rainbow sprinkles are banned in the UK and EU. The reason? The US-made sugar shards contain E127, which is only approved in certain products as it's been linked to hyperactivity in children. The ban was highlighted in October 2021 after Leeds bakery Get Baked was entangled in an unexpected drama over its use of 'illegal' American sugar sprinkles on one of its doughnuts.
Don't worry, your favourite cinema snack hasn't been outlawed without your knowledge. But there was a period in the early 20th century when people were banned from eating popcorn in movie theatres because it was noisy and made a mess on the carpets. By the time sound was added to films and cinema-going became more mainstream, things relaxed a little. But over the years, there have been more attempts to ban the snack.
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