10 American Foods That Are Banned in Other Countries
Many
foods sold in the US are banned in other countries due to harmful additives,
growth promoters, genetically engineered ingredients or other dangerous
practices. This includes farm-raised salmon, Hawaiian (GMO) papaya, artificial
food dyes, arsenic-laced chicken, ractopamine-tainted meat, bromate-containing
drinks and bread, olestra, carcinogenic preservatives, and rBGH-laced milk. To
avoid potentially hazardous foods and harmful ingredients permitted in the US
food supply, ditching processed foods entirely is your best option. Also swap
out your regular meat sources to organic, grass-fed/pasture-raised versions of
beef and poultry. The same goes for dairy products and animal by-products such
as eggs.
#1: Farm-Raised Salmon
If
you want to maximize health benefits from fish, you want to steer clear of
farmed fish, particularly farmed salmon fed dangerous chemicals. Wild salmon
gets its bright pinkish-red color from natural carotenoids in their diet.
Farmed salmon, on the other hand, are raised on a wholly unnatural diet of
grains (including genetically engineered varieties), plus a concoction of
antibiotics and other drugs and chemicals not shown to be safe for humans.
This
diet leaves the fish with unappetizing grayish flesh so to compensate, they’re
fed synthetic astaxanthin made from petrochemicals, which has not been approved
for human consumption and has well known toxicities. According to the featured
article, some studies suggest it can potentially damage your eyesight.
#2: Genetically Engineered Papaya
Most
Hawaiian papaya is now genetically engineered to be resistant to ringspot
virus. Mounting research now shows that animals fed genetically engineered
foods, such as corn and soy, suffer a wide range of maladies, including
intestinal damage, multiple-organ damage, massive tumors, birth defects,
premature death, and near complete sterility by the third generation of
offspring. Unfortunately, the gigantic human lab experiment is only about 10
years old, so we are likely decades away from tabulating the human casualties.
Where
it's banned:
The European Union
#3: Ractopamine-Tainted Meat
The
beta agonist drug ractopamine (a repartitioning agent that increases protein
synthesis) was recruited for livestock use when researchers found that the
drug, used in asthma, made mice more muscular. This reduces the overall fat
content of the meat. Ractopamine is currently used in about 45 percent of US
pigs, 30 percent of ration-fed cattle, and an unknown percentage of turkeys are
pumped full of this drug in the days leading up to slaughter. Up to 20 percent
of ractopamine remains in the meat you buy from the supermarket, according to
veterinarian Michael W. Fox.
Since
1998, more than 1,700 people have been "poisoned" from eating pigs
fed the drug, and ractopamine is banned from use in food animals in no less
than 160 different countries due to its harmful health effects! Effective
February 11, 2013, Russia issued a ban on US meat imports, slated to last until
the US agrees to certify that the meat is ractopamine-free. At present, the US
does not even test for the presence of this drug in meats sold. In animals,
ractopamine is linked to reductions in reproductive function, increase of
mastitis in dairy herds, and increased death and disability. It’s also known to
affect the human cardiovascular system, and is thought to be responsible for
hyperactivity, and may cause chromosomal abnormalities and behavioral changes.
Where
it's banned:
160 countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China
(Taiwan)
#4: Flame Retardant Drinks
If
you live in the US and drink Mountain Dew and some other citrus-flavored sodas
and sports drinks, then you are also getting a dose of a synthetic chemical
called brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which was originally patented by
chemical companies as a flame retardant.
BVO
has been shown to bioaccumulate in human tissue and breast milk, and animal
studies have found it causes reproductive and behavioral problems in large
doses. Bromine is a central nervous system depressant, and a common endocrine
disruptor. It’s part of the halide family, a group of elements that includes
fluorine, chlorine and iodine. When ingested, bromine competes for the same
receptors that are used to capture iodine. This can lead to iodine deficiency, which
can have a very detrimental impact on your health. Bromine toxicity can
manifest as skin rashes, acne, loss of appetite, fatigue, and cardiac
arrhythmias. According to the featured article:
"The
FDA has flip-flopped on BVO's safety originally classifying it as 'generally
recognized as safe' but reversing that call now defining it as an 'interim food
additive' a category reserved for possibly questionable substances used in
food."
Where
it's banned:
Europe and Japan
#5: Processed Foods Containing Artificial Food Colors and Dyes
More
than 3,000 food additives -- preservatives, flavorings, colors and other
ingredients -- are added to US foods, including infant foods and foods targeted
to young children. Meanwhile, many of these are banned in other countries,
based on research showing toxicity and hazardous health effects, especially
with respect to adverse effects on children’s behavior. For example, as
reported in the featured article:
“Boxed
Mac & Cheese, cheddar flavored crackers, Jell-O and many kids' cereals
contain red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and/or blue 2, the most popularly-used dyes
in the United States. Research has shown this rainbow of additives can cause
behavioral problems as well as cancer, birth defects and other health problems
in laboratory animals. Red 40 and yellow 6 are also suspected of causing an
allergy-like hypersensitivity reaction in children. The Center for Science in
the Public Interest reports that some dyes are also "contaminated with
known carcinogens.”
In
countries where these food colors and dyes are banned, food companies like
Kraft employ natural colorants instead, such as paprika extract, beetroot, and
annatto. The food blogger and activist Vani Hari, better known as “Food Babe,”
recently launched a Change.org petition2 asking Kraft to remove artificial dyes
from American Mac & Cheese to protect American children from the well-known
dangers of these dyes.
Where
it's banned:
Norway and Austria. In 2009, the British government advised companies to stop
using food dyes by the end of that year. The European Union also requires a
warning notice on most foods containing dyes.
#6: Arsenic-Laced Chicken
Arsenic-based
drugs are approved for use in animal feed in the US because they make animals
grow quicker and make the meat appear pinker (i.e. "fresher"). The US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated these products are safe because
they contain organic arsenic, which is less toxic than the other inorganic
form, which is a known carcinogen.
The
problem is, scientific reports surfaced stating that the organic arsenic could
transform into inorganic arsenic, which has been found in elevated levels in
supermarket chickens. The inorganic arsenic also contaminates manure where it
can eventually migrate into drinking water and may also be causing heightened arsenic
levels in US rice.
In
2011, Pfizer announced it would voluntarily stop marketing its arsenic-based
feed additive Roxarsone, but there are still several others on the market.
Several environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the FDA calling for
their removal from the market. In the European Union, meanwhile, arsenic-based
compounds have never been approved as safe for animal feed.
Where
it's banned:
The European Union
#7: Bread with Potassium Bromate
You
might not be aware of this, but nearly every time you eat bread in a restaurant
or consume a hamburger or hotdog bun you are consuming bromide, as it is
commonly used in flours. The use of potassium bromate as an additive to
commercial breads and baked goods has been a huge contributor to bromide
overload in Western cultures.
Bromated
flour is “enriched” with potassium bromate. Commercial baking companies claim
it makes the dough more elastic and better able to stand up to bread hooks.
However, Pepperidge Farm and other successful companies manage to use only
unbromated flour without any of these so-called “structural problems.” Studies
have linked potassium bromate to kidney and nervous system damage, thyroid
problems, gastrointestinal discomfort, and cancer. The International Agency for
Research on Cancer classifies potassium bromate as a possible carcinogen.
Where
it's banned:
Canada, China and the EU
#8: Olestra/Olean
Olestra,
aka Olean, created by Procter & Gamble, is a calorie- and cholesterol-free
fat substitute used in fat-free snacks like chips and French fries. Three years
ago, Time Magazine3 named it one of the worst 50 inventions ever, but that
hasn’t stopped food companies from using it to satisfy people’s mistaken belief
that a fat-free snack is a healthier snack. According to the featured article:
“Not
only did a 2011 study from Purdue University conclude rats fed potato chips
made with Olean gained weight, there have been several reports of adverse
intestinal reactions to the fake fat including diarrhea, cramps and leaky
bowels. And because it interferes with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins
such as A, D, E and K, the FDA requires these vitamins be added to any product
made with Olean or olestra.”
Where
it's banned: The UK and Canada
#9: Preservatives BHA and BHT
BHA
(butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are commonly used
preservatives that can be found in breakfast cereal, nut mixes, chewing gum,
butter spread, meat, dehydrated potatoes, and beer, just to name a few. BHA is
known to cause cancer in rats, and may be a cancer-causing agent in humans as
well. In fact, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services,
National Toxicology Program's 2011 Report on Carcinogens, BHA "is
reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” It may also trigger allergic
reactions and hyperactivity, while BHT can cause organ system toxicity.
Where
it's banned:
The UK doesn't allow BHA in infant foods. BHA and BHT are also banned in parts
of the European Union and Japan.
#10: Milk and Dairy Products Laced with rBGH
Recombinant
bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is the largest selling dairy animal drug in
America. RBGH is a synthetic version of natural bovine somatotropin (BST), a
hormone produced in cows' pituitary glands. Monsanto developed the recombinant
version from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria and markets it under the
brand name "Posilac."
It’s
injected into cows to increase milk production, but it is banned in at least 30
other nations because of its dangers to human health, which include an increased
risk for colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer by promoting conversion of
normal tissue cells into cancerous ones. Non-organic dairy farms frequently
have rBGH-injected cows that suffer at least 16 different adverse health
conditions, including very high rates of mastitis that contaminate milk with
pus and antibiotics.
Where
it's banned:
Australia, New Zealand, Israel, EU and Canada
Soybean
oil and high fructose cron syrup : One of the Most Harmful Ingredients in
Processed Foods
Two
of the most harmful ingredients in processed foods are high fructose corn syrup
and soybean oil, whether partially hydrogenated, organic, or made from newer
soybean varieties modified in such a way as to not require
hydrogenation.Completely unnatural man-made fats created through the partial
hydrogenation process cause dysfunction and chaos in your body on a cellular
level, and studies have linked trans-fats to health problems ranging from
obesity and diabetes to reproductive problems and heart disease.
