When it comes to food safety and regulations, not all countries see eye to eye. What’s considered safe for consumption in the United States might be banned or heavily restricted in other parts of the world. From artificial additives to controversial farming practices, the global divide on food standards is concerning. We’ll explore some of the U.S. food products that are banned in other countries and why these bans exist.

  • Twinkies: contains yellow 5 dye, which impairs gut health)
  • Skittles: contains contain Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and titanium dioxide
  • M&Ms: contains red 40 dye
  • Mountain Dew: contains brominated vegetable oil, which is patented by chemical companies as a flame retardant; has been linked to memory loss, skin issues, headaches. It also causes tooth decay (resulting in “Mountain Dew Mouth”) due to its high sugar content.
  • Coffee-Mate Creamer: contains hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil
  • Stove Top Stuffing: contains butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) which has been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, organ toxicity and allergic reaction.
  • Wheat Thins: contain butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
  • Froot Loops contains several food dyes including yellow 5 and red 40.
  • Ritz crackers: contains hydrogenated cottonseed oils
  • Swiss Rolls: contains yellow 5 dye
  • U.S. packaged beef and pork: contains ammonia gas, ractopamine
  • Kool-Aid: contains red 40 dye, high fructose corn syrup and other additives. High fructose corn syrup has been linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, liver damage, heart disease, gout, asthma and certain types of cancer.
  • Farm-raised Salmon: contain methyl mercury, dioxins and antibiotics. Methyl mercury has been linked to brain damage and kidney failure, movement and coordination problems and impaired mental function.
  • U.S. milk: contains rBST, man-made growth hormone fed to dairy cows to boost milk production
  • U.S. packaged chicken washed in chlorine to prevent food-borne diseases like E. coli and Salmonella but has been linked to gastrointestinal irritation

Other U.S. foods that are banned in other countries include Frosted Flakes, microwave popcorn, Jello and Gatorade.

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