It’s true: the United States has a lot of food problems. From the obesity epidemic to diabetes and heart disease, our eating habits are in dire need of some serious reevaluation.
When it comes to eating healthy, it’s easy to make bad choices. We want to eat right and do right by our bodies, but sometimes it seems like there’s so much junk out there that we can’t possibly avoid it all.
But we can! And in order to do so, we have to know what foods are actually good for us—and which ones are just trying to trick us into thinking they are. Here are ten foods that should be banned in the U.S. because they aren’t what they seem (and are banned in other countries):
- Artificial food dyes: These can be found in foods ranging from cereals, baked goods, candy, sports drinks, sodas, and more. Although dyes may help your food look more pleasing, they are made of petroleum chemicals, which is also a chemical used to make gasoline, diesel, and tar.
- Synthetic Hormones (rBGH and rBST): These are usually found in milk and dairy products. Cows treated with these hormones can become infertile and have inflamed utters, which affects their milk production and also puts their milk production at risk because of possible contamination and issues from these hormones. These hormones have also been linked to prostate, colon, and breast cancer, so it is important to be very careful of the dairy products you are consuming.
- Farm-Raised Salmon: Banned in Australia since 1975 and Russia since 2006, Farm raised salmon is salmon that is raised on an unnatural diet of grains and genetically engineered varieties that are given toxic antibiotics, vitamins, drugs, and chemicals that are not safe for human consumption. Not to mention, 90% of toxins from Farm-raised salmon can bioaccumulate into the body, which, if you are pregnant, can be passed to your newborn and even in your breast milk. In addition, Farm raised salmon has harmful elements such as PCBs, dioxins, toxaphene, and mercury, and are more likely to get infected with fish viruses. If you enjoy salmon, it is recommended to consume Wild Salmon since it contains more healthful omega-3 fats and protein.
- Brominated Vegetable Oil: This can typically be found in sports drinks and citrus-flavored soda. The main ingredient for this is a toxic, corrosive, and poisonous chemical. This chemical can also be linked to organ damage, schizophrenia, birth defects, and more, which is why Mountain Dew was banned from Japan and The European Union. Brominated Vegetable Oil also contains bromine, which is a flame retardant that is built up in the body and can cause memory loss and nerve problems.
- Chlorinated Chicken: Chlorinated chicken has been washed in chlorine to reduce the risk of spreading diseases and illnesses such as salmonella. This is banned in the U.K. and the European Union because they believe that chlorinating chicken is the practice of unsanitary farming conditions.
- Arsenic: Arsenic is typically found in Poultry and is usually found in chicken feed. It is typically thought that Arsenic in the chicken feed will help promote growth and increase pigmentation to make the chicken meat look healthier and more pink. However, the Environmental Protection Agency has classified Arsenic as a human carcinogen.
- Coffee-Mate: This is a widely popular coffee creamer in the United States and has even gotten the attention of some non-American influencers who have wanted to try the creamer but find that it is not available to purchase in their country, and there is a reason for that. Coffee Mate has ingredients such as hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils that have been linked to heart disease. Coffee Mate was actually banned in the United States in 2018 but is still available in the U.S. food supply. This product has been banned from numerous countries like Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark.
- Potassium Bromate: This can usually be found in bread and bread products like breadcrumbs. Potassium Bromate is made with the same harsh chemicals that make Brominated Vegetable Oil. The bromate in flour is supposed to assist with decreasing baking time and cost and also helps give breads a white color. However, it does have the same potentially harmful effect as brominated vegetable oil, like kidney damage, cancer, and damage to the nervous system. Potassium Bromate is banned in the UK, Canada, Peru, and many other countries.
- Olestra: Commonly found in potato chips, corn chips, and french fries, Olestra is banned in the U.K. and Canada. Olestra is a supposed substitute for cooking oil. When Olestra is consumed, it can rob your body’s ability to absorb vitamins, taking away the vitamins you need to live a long and healthy life. If you experience frequent and painful cramping, it is recommended that you consult a doctor and decrease your consumption of potato and corn chips and french fries if you consume those on a regular basis.
- Azodicarbonamide: This can typically be found in frozen dinners, boxed pasta, pre-packaged baked goods, and various breads. Azodicarbonamide is a chemical that helps get the flour to that white color. Essentially, it bleaches flour at a quicker rate and is also used in foam plastics. This chemical has been linked to causing asthma or increasing asthma flare-ups.
