14 Foods You Probably Didn’t Know Are Illegal in the United States
According to USDA ERS, the food spent by US consumers, businesses, and the government was $2.6 trillion in 2023 compared with $2.4 trillion in 2022. 58.5% of all food spending rose from $1.3 trillion in 2022 to $1.5 trillion in 2023 in food-away-from-home expenditures.
It’s surprising in a nation where freedom is about choice to find that some foods are not allowed on American plates. Because they’re not safe, because they’re morally wrong, or because of the environment—these forbidden foods are a rich example of the web of laws that dictate our foodways. This is a nerdy look at the foods you probably never heard were illegal in the United States.
Raw Milk
Raw milk—long touted as a healthful food—is illegal in 20 states. ‘FDA estimates it is 150 times more likely to make people sick if they drink raw milk than pasteurized milk.’
Proponents tout its natural enzymes and probiotic content, but the possibility of Salmonella and E.coli are still rampant.
Fugu (Japanese Puffer Fish)
This famous dish is as dangerous as it is delicious. Fugu is tetrodotoxin, which is more deadly than cyanide. BBC reports, “People say it is 200 times more deadly than cyanide.” According to government statistics, twenty-three individuals in Japan have died after consuming fugu since the year 2000.
The chefs are trained to cook it properly, but deadly errors make it unsafe in the United States. It can only be offered by registered chefs at some locations, highlighting the art and responsibility of cooking for people.
Ackee Fruit
Jamaica’s national fruit is popular in Caribbean food. If not cooked, it contains hypoglycin A, which lowers blood sugar. It can’t be brought into the US in its raw form, although safe canned clones are available.
Kinder Surprise Eggs
These much-loved European sweets are illegal because their plastic toys pose a choking risk. Kinder Joy (a forgery) is unlawful, but the original is banned, revealing just how far the US goes to shield consumers.
Sassafras Oil
This ingredient used to be used in root beer, but the FDA regulated it as sassafras oil in 1960. One ingredient, safrole, is a carcinogen and is used to make drugs that are not legally prescribed, adding to its illegality.
Shark Fins
Although shark fins have been the star of many Asian dishes, shark finning (removing the fins and throwing away the sharks) has been banned in 12 states, as reported by the Washington Post. Not only is this a dangerous act for sharks, but it also ruins marine life.
Sea Turtle Meat
Although sea turtle meat is well-represented in restaurants, it is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Populations are dwindling, so conservation is about saving these ancestors from extinction.
Beluga Caviar
Since 2005, importing Beluga caviar has been prohibited in the US. The species is overfished in the Caspian Sea, and international laws have been applied.
Redfish
This fish was outlawed everywhere except in Mississippi because of overfishing. Culinary pressure almost eliminated the population, as an example of how cuisine and conservation go hand in hand.
Ortolan
A former French specialty, this little songbird is banned in the U.S. and the E.U. due to declining numbers. Even its preparation technique—drowning in Armagnac and devouring unsliced—has created ethical and conservation problems.
Queen Conch
Harvesting this mollusk in US waters was banned to reduce overexploitation. Still, it is a Caribbean staple, and its population is dwindling, so strict conservation is called for.
Horse Meat
While not illegal elsewhere, horse meat is forbidden in the United States. The ban on horse slaughter for human consumption is primarily due to federal legislation that prevents the USDA from inspecting horse carcasses for meat production.
Haggis
A traditional Scottish meat dish made with sheep lung, the USDA forbids it because it is illegal to eat animal lungs. For all its cultural value, it’s remained off American plates since 1971 because of contamination fears.
Foie Gras
Foie gras is delicious but illegal to make and sell in places such as California, as the force-feeding process used to create it is not approved.
Though the federal government writes most laws, states can ban something. Selling some game meats is different and is subject to indigenous traditions or state statutes. Some bans question cultural rights, while others call our food safe and sustainable. If you want to do more research, reading the laws and why they’re prohibited will give you a better view of American cooking.
When we reflect on the foods that define us, it’s worth asking how our food choices are transnational and moral. Discussions of these tainted foods make us feel better about the complexity of international foodways, whether to change things or to learn more.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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