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Americans hankering for a taste of home won’t find these fave foods abroad.
Many American foods and ingredients are often restricted or banned in other countries due to different health and safety restrictions regarding food additives and preservatives.
These foods being banned abroad has led to many conversations of why they exist in America and what can be done to make them healthier.
Here are some of the popular American foods and snacks that other countries have banned:
Coffee-Mate
Many Americans likely woke up this morning and put Coffee-Mate into their cup of coffee, but people who live in countries such as Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Switzerland won’t be able to do so.
Several countries in the EU believe there are too many hydrogenated oils and trans fats in the popular coffee creamer that could increase the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Froot Loops
The colorful cereal is a favorite for kids in American households, but Froot Loops abroad might be a little different. The cereal contains Red 40, Yellow 5 (tartrazine) and Yellow 6 food dyes, as well as the preservative BHT.
The food colorings can lead to hypersensitivity reactions — such as allergies or asthma — and may also be linked to behavioral issues. Studies suggest that Red 40 may increase hyperactivity and irritability in children, especially if they have ADHD.
Some studies have shown that tartrazine can damage DNA, cause inflammation, increase hyperactivity in children and cause allergic reactions. Meanwhile, Yellow 6 has been linked to neurobehavioral issues in children, as well as allergic reactions.
Kellogg’s sells a version of the fruity cereal with natural colorings in the UK and Canada, though countries like France, Austria, Norway and Finland have straight-up banned the cereal.
Gatorade
The electrolyte-filled drink is restricted in countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Norway and Austria.
Gatorade uses artificial dyes such as Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 — and it used to contain brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which can cause thyroid damage and neurological symptoms such as memory loss and tremors, but it has been phased out of the ingredients.
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew and other citrusy sodas are banned in places like the EU and Japan due to the BVO content. In 2020, PepsiCo ended up removing the chemical from Mountain Dew’s list of ingredients.
However, BVO is not essential to the drink and does not improve taste. Rather, it’s used to keep the flavor mixed evenly so the drink doesn’t separate.
Ritz Crackers
The iconic cracker brand isn’t sold in many countries in Europe, including Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Hungary, Austria and Switzerland.
Ritz Crackers contain partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, a trans fat that has been linked to heart disease. These kinds of trans fats raise LDL (low-density lipoprotein), the “bad” cholesterol, which increases risks of cardiovascular disease.
Some places in the EU may sell Ritz Crackers with different formulations and ingredients that follow the regulations.
Skittles
Skittles and other colorful candies like gummies and fruit snacks get their vibrant colors from synthetic petroleum-based dyes and additives such as titanium dioxide.
Titanium dioxide is banned in Europe due to concerns of DNA damage.
Twinkies
Twinkies are banned in countries such as Norway, Finland and Austria due to its ingredient list, specifically Yellow 5 (tartrazine), Yellow 6 and Red 40 food dyes. These dyes either require warning labels or are straight up banned in some EU countries.
Additionally, Twinkies contain high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, which are highly regulated in the EU.
Instant mashed potatoes
Instant mashed potatoes and other packaged snacks contain preservatives BHA and BHT to stop oils from going bad and to extend shelf life.
While both chemicals are still legal in the U.S., they are banned or restricted in Europe due to its link to cancer risks.
Stove-top stuffing
One of the most popular Thanksgiving sides will be hard to find if you’re celebrating abroad. Stove-top stuffing contains butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), preservatives that are banned in the EU, United Kingdom and Japan.
These preservatives are flavor enhancers that can prevent oxidation and spoilage — but they have also been associated with risks of blood clotting.
But if you’re really adamant on having stove-top stuffing for an overseas Thanksgiving, don’t worry, you can bring it on the plane.
US meats
As it turns out, multiple U.S. meats are heavily restricted abroad. Pork with ractopamine, a drug used to increase muscle growth in pigs, is banned in the EU as it has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, increased heart rate, hardening of the arteries, elevated blood pressure and neurological side effects. Other countries like South Korea and the United Kingdom will sometimes temporarily ban pork in an effort to control disease outbreaks.
In the U.S., chicken is routinely washed in a chlorine solution before it hits shelves to reduce the possibility of contamination of salmonella and other bacteria. The EU believes that there should be a “high level of safety throughout the food chain, from farm to fork” — not just deep cleaning the meat at the end to make up for bad standards earlier in the process.
Most salmon sold in the United States is farm-raised, not wild. When selling farm-raised salmon, producers add synthetic coloring to fish feed to make it look fresh and pink. Farm-raised salmon is heavily restricted in Europe due to its antibiotic and chemical exposure.
Additionally, American beef is illegal to be sold in the EU due to the hormones injected into cattle in America. The hormones could yield more meat out of the cattle but the EU believes these hormones could potentially be carcinogenic. The ban first started in 1989 when the EU and the UK jointly decided to stop importing American beef.
