We are free to choose what we want to eat every day, that’s our personal choice. But do you know that there are some foods which are banned in certain parts of the world? Here are 7 foods you will not see on the shelf at your grocery store.
1. Shark fin soup
This popular soup item of Chinese cuisine is banned in many countries including USA, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. because it leads to the extinction and death of sharks, since sharks’ fins are cut off and they’re left to die in the sea.
2. Foie gras
Foie gras has been banned in almost all countries because of the cruelty that the duck is subjected to. Thanks to PETA, international animal organization, millions of ducks and geese have been saved from the force-feeding technique applied to make their livers fat.
3. Raw milk
Raw milk was an everyday commodity before the Industrial Revolution. Nowadays raw milk is banned wholly and partially in some countries, as it contains some very harmful germs and bacteria which can cause stomach diseases.
4. Kinder egg chocolate
I’m sure you don’t expect to see this sweet chocolate for children on this list. This candy is banned from importation into the United States, because the small plastic toys hidden inside the chocolate shell could pose a choking hazard for young children.
5. Fugu
Puffer fish is banned almost all over the world because of its internal organs and some other body parts which are highly poisonous. Even though it is very tasty fish, consuming it can lead to death. In the United States, it is illegal to harvest, sell and serve the puffer fish without having a license to do so.
6. Haggis
A Scottish dish made from sheep’s offal and served inside a sheep’s stomach itself is banned in some countries. The US government banned haggis import because sheep’s lungs were not fit for consumption.
7. Absinthe
Absinthe had been banned in the United States and in most European countries including France because it supposedly has harmful neurological effects. Nowadays in the United States, absinthe is distilled, but is just 75% and is diluted with water.
Do you know some other foods that are banned in different parts of the world? Share your thoughts, please!