Everybody has different tastes in food – but the reasons some foods have been banned or restricted in countries around the world can be pretty baffling. From kebabs and ketchup to poppy seeds and popcorn, we've rounded up the most surprising foods and drinks that countries have outlawed over the years, counting down to the most shocking of all. How many have you tried?
Mini jelly cups containing a gelling agent called konjac are banned in the European Union, Australia and numerous other countries. These products came in single-serving containers with peel-off lids, and the idea was you'd eat the whole thing in one go. But the European Commission said their texture and shape made them a choking hazard – especially for children. Critics claimed the ban was a major overreaction.
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 10 times its usual size. Several countries have banned production and, in some cases, imports of the product due to concerns over animal cruelty. But many places – including the US and France – still manufacture the product.
These radiant marshmallow chicks are a staple at Easter in the USA and Canada, but certain flavours – specifically pink and purple Peeps, which contain a chemical called red dye No. 3 – will soon face the chop. The additive is a known carcinogen that was banned from use in cosmetics in the 1990s, but still remains in thousands of foods in America. However, in January 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed a ban on red dye No. 3, which will come into effect in 2027.
Believe it or not, poppy seeds can land you in serious hot water in Singapore. While poppy seeds are unlikely to do you harm, they can contain traces of opiates. That's why they're classified as prohibited goods by the country's strict Central Narcotics Bureau. You can import them, but only once they've been cleared by Singapore's Health Sciences Authority.
Singapore's 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. Don't worry, though: it's OK for travellers to bring a small amount with them for personal chewing.
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. Shark fins are typically cut off while the shark is still alive, and the animal is sometimes thrown back into the water to die. The US, Canada and the UK have all banned the trade of shark fins, and one of Hong Kong’s major restaurant chains has taken shark fins off its menus for good.
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. Rainforest Trust UK claimed the demand for avocados was partly responsible for the devastation of some 70,000 acres of rainforest per day.
In the US, 'raw' almonds are, in fact, not actually raw. Instead, they're pasteurised in a complicated process that can take up to nine hours. It's illegal to sell truly raw almonds because they're thought to carry a risk of salmonella, which can cause fever and abdominal cramps. Happily, the way they're treated – usually through steaming or roasting – doesn't affect the taste.
If you want an authentic taste of Scotland's national dish, 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 and spices, and cooked in sheep’s lungs. Unfortunately, the US Department of Agriculture deems sheep lungs unfit for human consumption, so real-deal haggis is out of the question if you live in the USA.
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 relaxed the rules, allowing caviar from farmed sturgeon and those caught within strict fishing quotas now in place in the Caspian Sea. The ban and strong conservation efforts allowed the beluga population to recover.
This small songbird was once considered a delicacy in France. The traditional way of cooking it called for the ortolan to be fattened to twice its normal size then drowned and cooked in brandy. This controversial practice was outlawed in France in 1999 and banned across the EU in 2007. However, the French black market continued to thrive, and the government came under criticism for reportedly not enforcing the ban strongly enough.
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 a Scottish golf resort over fears it would stain the carpet.
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. This is dangerous because gastric acid doesn't destroy the larvae, so they can end up in the intestines, attacking the organs. The smelly and dangerous dish is banned in the European Union and the USA.
With the tagline 'love it or hate it', divisive yeast spread Marmite is so embedded in British culture that it's become one of the most confiscated items at airport security. Most countries allow the sale and import of Marmite, but it's another story in Denmark. In 2011, the country restricted the sale of Marmite because it's fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. Fortified foods must get approval from the Danish food authorities before being allowed for sale in the country.
A cup of coffee wasn't always accepted as a great 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, England's 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. However, the ban was redacted two days before it was due to be put in place. The Ottoman Sultan Murad IV put a similar ban in place in Istanbul in 1633. More recently, Coffee Mate was banned in some European countries because of its trans-fat content.
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 US Food and Drug Administration. Happily, an alternative product called Kinder Joy is considered safer and is now available.
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 consumer's muscles, leading to asphyxiation. It's banned in Europe and can only be prepared by specially licensed chefs in Japan. The delicacy is more widely available in China, though.
The news that the US Food and Drug Administration will ban Red No. 3 food dye in food products in America from January 2027 sent shockwaves through the snack industry. It means companies and products that currently use the dye, such as Brach's candy corn or Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum, will need to eliminate it from recipes by that date. Could this be the end of candy corn as we know it?
This unique fruit is much-loved across Southeast Asia, where it's eaten regularly – despite its incredible smell. The odour has been described as equivalent to rotting onions, gym socks, sewage and decaying flesh, and it lingers. So much so that in 2018 an Australian university was evacuated because students mistook the smell of the pungent fruit 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 December 2023, Jolly Ranchers, Mountain Dew, Swedish Fish and Lemon Heads all found themselves on the wrong side of UK law. The US sweets were removed from shelves all over the UK because they contained ingredients deemed harmful by the UK government. Jolly Ranchers, for instance, contained mineral oil. This is not allowed in UK products because if corrupted by another compound it could cause cancer formations. Manufacturers were quick to point out that these products are all produced legally in their home country.
Raw or unpasteurised milk is widely consumed in Europe, with proponents raving about its richer taste. It's also essential in the production of some of the world's best cheeses. Yet raw milk is banned in some US states and Canada. Cheeses made with raw milk that haven't aged at least 60 days are also banned. Why? Because unpasteurised dairy products can spread listeria, salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter.
In 2014, Canadian authorities intercepted a shipment of imported products that fell foul of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's laws. The shipment included the popular British chocolate bar, the Penguin. Reportedly, these were 'enriched with vitamins and minerals', making them unacceptable for sale in Canada. The incident caused outrage in the UK, but it was all a misunderstanding. These particular Penguins weren't actually destined for Canada. To be sold in Canada, the chocolate bars must be made to a recipe that conforms to the country's guidelines.
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. This meant that the opening of new kebab shops and other similar fast food joints was banned because they 'lacked decorum'. Venice and Florence also introduced similar rules. However, some have seen the ruling as discriminatory towards immigrants.
Danish fans of spicy instant noodles were left with empty bowls in June 2024 when authorities deemed one brand too spicy. The offending noodles were Samyang's packets of Hot Chicken Stew, 2x Spicy & Hot Chicken and Buldak 3x Spicy & Hot Chicken. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said the levels of capsaicin in just one serving of these noodles were 'so high that they pose a risk of the consumer developing acute poisoning'. Yikes.
It's not so much the chickens that are the problem here, it's the way they're prepared. In the US, it's common practice to wash chickens in chlorine to remove harmful bacteria. In the EU, however, the use of chlorine and other disinfectants used for washing poultry has been banned since 1997. This was to ensure that food hygiene standards were consistently high throughout the farming and production processes. The ban is still in place, meaning that US chicken can't be imported into the European Union.
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 two Premier League football managers 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.
M&M's are one 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 the 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 M&M's have been spotted in Sweden – with capital letters on the packaging.
If you like your burgers rare, you might be out of luck in some countries. Food Standards Scotland, the Food Standards Agency in the UK and the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand 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.
The California public school system got serious about the health and wellbeing of its students in September 2024. Food dyes Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 will all be banned in California from the end of 2027. That means schoolyard snacks such as Flamin' Hot Cheetos and M&Ms will need to change their formulations before this date or risk being banned for good.
Fear not: 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. After sound was added to films and cinema-going became more mainstream, things relaxed a little. There was another attempt to ban the snack in the 1940s, but popcorn and movies have lived happily together since then.
Believe it or not, certain types of these harmless-looking rainbow sprinkles are banned in the UK and EU. The reason? Most US-made sugar shards contain E127, which is only approved in certain products and has been linked to hyperactivity in children. The ban was highlighted in October 2021 after the Leeds-based bakery Get Baked was entangled in an unexpected drama over its use of 'illegal' American sugar sprinkles on its treats. The company ended up using a new E127-free version of the sprinkles.
Now discover the surprisingly dangerous foods you should approach with caution