Even if you manage to eat a square three meals a day, there comes a point at say, three in the afternoon, where your stomach is going to get a little rumbly, and you’re in danger of becoming hangry. What comes to save the day? A snack! But what happens if the tidbit you reach for turns out to be forbidden fruit? The following is a list of yummy snacks, both savory and sweet, that have been unceremoniously banned in various locations. To find out why, read on!

Top 10 Discontinued Sodas

10 Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Cheetos have been a lunchbox food for many kids since they were introduced over half a century ago, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that the Flamin’ Hot variety would grace cafeterias, for better or worse. Though undeniably tasty, the popular spicy snack was banned in several school districts in New Mexico, California, and Illinois because of its lack of nutritional value, and, reportedly, because of an unintended side effect that might have panicked parents. Because of a high amount of red dye in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, they turn the stools of those who eat large amounts a disturbing red or orange color, causing unnecessary trips to the ER from freaked out caregivers duped into believing there is a genuine medical emergency.^[1]

9 Kinder Eggs

Ferraro, an Italian brand, is the manufacturer of a notorious snack officially called “Kinder Surprise,” but more often referred to as “Kinder Eggs.” The original Kinder Eggs were made out of a milk chocolate and cream shell, inside of which is a plastic container. Inside of the container is a small toy, one that often comes in several pieces requiring assembly. Children love the unique combination of candy and plaything, while adult collectors might bin the chocolate and keep the toy, but the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Administration (FDA) in the United States was decidedly unimpressed. Though Kinder Eggs were permitted for import into Mexico and Canada, they were banned in the US. Why? Because it is illegal for candy to contain a “non-nutritive object,” in this case, a toy. The rules further stipulate that “the sale of any candy that has embedded in it a toy or trinket” is forbidden due to concerns over the choking hazard. However, in mid-2017, the “Kinder Joy” did become available in the US, as that product packages the chocolate and the “surprise” separately.^[2]

8 Chocolate Milk

In late 2019, Tempe Elementary School District in Arizona banned a seemingly innocent snack from their lunchrooms: chocolate milk. In doing so, they joined Washington, D.C., Rochester, NY, Minnesota, and San Francisco, who had already forbidden the treat. In Tempe’s case, the ban was part of a larger initiative to cut down on the amount of added sugars and high-fructose corn syrup consumed by the students. Though the Arizona chocolate milk kibosh was not met with any substantial complaining by parents or students (or so it was reported), the situation was very different for the New York City Department of Education, also mulling a ruling against flavored milk products at the time. Several New York congress members voiced concerns that the ban would hurt dairy farmers.^[3]

7 “French” Fries

In a move that immediately became a staple of drive-time DJ conversation and late-night punchlines, Rep. Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican who was, at the time, the chair of the committee on administration for the House of Representatives, banned, not a snack itself, but its name. “French” fries (and also toast!) were not to be sold or consumed in the House cafeteria, but “Freedom” fries were a-okay. This was, of course, for symbolic, political reasons, as France refused to support a war in Iraq post September 11th, and Ney felt that eating “French” fries was therefore un-American. As ridiculous as this sounds, he did have precedent. During World War I, German names were a no-go in the United States, including sauerkraut (re-Christened “liberty cabbage”) and German measles (“liberty measles.”) Of course, at that time, Germany was an American enemy while, in 2003, France remained an American ally, but regardless, there were no “French” fries in the House until August of 2006, when the name was changed back without fanfare.^[4]

6 British Cadbury Chocolate

Many Cadbury chocolate devotees are puzzled when they buy the snack in the United States, noting that the flavor is markedly different from the “real” British Cadbury bars they’re familiar with. These folks are not imagining things: chocolate giant Hershey owns the rights to make and market Cadbury bars in the US, but it uses a different recipe than across the pond. The main deviation is the first ingredient: milk in the U.K. version, sugar in the American. The English chocolate also has a higher fat content and no preservatives. Hershey’s bans the sale of British-made Cadbury chocolate in the United States, and is aggressive about defending their turf, even suing small shops who try to get away with selling the imported stuff. Though Hershey isn’t a regulatory agency, it does reserve the right to crack down hard on its licensing agreements, which means that, unfortunately for Anglophiles, it has the authority to try and stop the sale of the British products on American soil.^[5]

10 Failed Fast Food Ideas

5 Cupcakes

Has there ever been a more cheerful snack than a cupcake, particularly a birthday cupcake, covered in icing and sprinkles? Maybe not, but that didn’t stop Northshore Elementary School in Knox County, Tennessee, from banning them in 2016. A note was sent home to parents that made bringing in cupcakes for birthdays or other special occasions or events majorly taboo. In fact, Principal Brandon Pratt acted as the food police for anything the kids brought from home, insisting that the food meet strict calorie, sodium, sugar, and fat guidelines. When defending his rules, in addition to health concerns, Pratt cited a traumatizing incident from his first year in charge where a student ate a piece of candy and was sent into anaphylactic shock due to an allergy. The culture of the school has changed somewhat since the guidelines went into place, for example, on Valentine’s day, students are encouraged to exchange small items like stationary supplies, and not the more traditional candy.^[6]

4 Milkshakes

Most of the snack bans on this list are US in origin, but this one is a little different in more ways than one. Police ordered a specific McDonalds in Edinburgh, Scotland to cease selling milkshakes for a day. This was due to their location, as the fast-food joint was near the site of an event to be attended by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage. Protesters had been known to attack people they don’t agree with by dousing them with the melted ice cream drink. It became a full-fledged movement after a 2019 video depicting an individual lobbing a McDonald’s milkshake at Tommy Robinson, a British political campaigner (who would suffer a repeat incident just a few days later) went viral. More targeted milkshake missile attacks struck fear into law enforcement officials, ending in the restaurant near the Farage event hanging a sign on the door that read: “We will not be selling milkshakes or ice creams tonight. This is due to a police request given recent events.”^[7]

3 Soda

It was actually due to the ban on this snack that another rose to fame: soda. In the late 1800s into the early 1900s “Blue Laws” were passed in many states. Blue Laws are religious in nature and restrict anything that might be considered pleasurable enough to be “sinful”. The sale of liquor on Sundays was a major one, but another was a ban on “sucking sodas” on the Sabbath. Why is not entirely clear, but probably had something to do with young people congregating at soda shops. These snack counters dealt in root beer floats and ice cream sodas, which were made from a soda base with ice cream floating on top. Suddenly the shop owners needed a new, legal, treat to peddle on Sundays, and so they swapped the soda for syrup and the Ice Cream Sunday was born. Interestingly, the spelling changed at some point from “Sunday” to “Sundae” which was possibly a nod to the fact that, by then, they were just as popular as the sodas and sold on every day of the week.^[8]

2 Pizza

Pizza is a snack that can be a meal, depending on if you’re going by the slice or the pie. No matter what you want to call it, for the residents of San Vitaliano, a small town in Italy, it simply became a problem. In 2015, the tiny town was being choked by smog at levels more often seen in large cities. The surprising culprit was determined to be wood-burning ovens used to fire pizzas. Businesses in the town were banned from using the ovens unless they were fitted with a special filter. PIzza makers in San Vitaliano were understandably angry, claiming that their pies were not to blame for the air pollution. Mount Vesuvius, a largely dormant (but not extinct) volcano does sit less than 20 miles from San Vitaliano, so it’s possible they had a point.^[9]

1 Popcorn

It seems crazy to think of enjoying a movie on the big screen without the constant soundtrack of folks munching on popcorn, but at one point, the snack was banned at movie theaters. When cinemas first opened, they screened silent films, which required a higher level of literacy and attracted more sophisticated audiences who often dressed and behaved as if they were going to a traditional theater. The movie houses themselves reflected this, with expensive furnishings, including plush carpets that owners did not want food ground into, hence the ban on popcorn. With the invention of “talkies” movie-going culture changed, and so did the theaters themselves. Owners realized they could make a huge profit selling popcorn in their lobbies and so we will now forever associate the buttery snack with our favorite movies.^[10]

Top 10 Bizarre Junk Food Deaths

About The Author: A.L. Montone is a teacher, playwright, and magician in Baltimore area.

Everyone has a favorite snack or quick lunch that they munch on in the office. But you should think carefully about your choice before your next snack break. We want a snack that will keep us going until the next meal, and we want it to be tasty. But, at the same time, we don’t want to alienate our colleagues or have to scrape salsa off our keyboard.

An office is a social space you share with your workmates; it is simply good manners to think about them when you choose your snack. If you are new to an office, find out if there is a “Snacks Code of Conduct” in operation.

If one of your co-workers insists on eating snacks or food that you find offensive, think about introducing such a code in your workplace. It’s the small things that drive us nuts. (In fact, nuts are on this list). Here are ten not safe for the office snacks.

10 So Long Smelly Sandwiches

Boiled eggs have their place at the breakfast table, but you shouldn’t eat them in the office. A boiled egg and tuna sandwich might be a quick, easily prepared snack, but your co-workers will probably not thank you for eating it. Tuna has quite a strong smell, but mix it with boiled egg, and you have a combination that will ensure that your co-workers will steer clear of your desk. Unless that is what you are going for.

What’s happening with your boiled egg is that iron in the yolk reacts with sulfur in the white, creating that noxious bad egg smell. This only occurs if the egg has been overcooked and the yolk is yellow. A perfectly cooked boiled egg has a deep orange yolk and doesn’t smell.

There is a lively debate online about the smelliest ingredient in a boiled egg and tuna sandwich. For me, the boiled egg would win out every time, but there is strong support for tuna. Perhaps it’s best to avoid tuna sandwiches altogether.

9 Avoid the “Popcorn” Button

Oh, Orville Redenbacker. You’ve done too many offices dirty. This hot, crunchy, buttery delight is perfect for movie theaters, but it doesn’t belong in the office! First of all, no matter how careful you are, popcorn gets everywhere. You’ll find grease smudges on the keyboard, popcorn down your shirt, and kernels stuck between your front teeth.

But hang on… there’s more.

While a microwave might seem simple to use, somehow, people still screw it up. Have you ever actually used a microwave where the popcorn button was accurately timed? When you accidentally leave that bag of “Butter Lovers” in too long, that extra minute can leave your office smelling like burned popcorn for the next millennium.

8 Don’t Be Shellfish

You have to be very careful with shellfish. Shellfish accumulate heavy metals, which are passed on to you when you eat them. Many people are allergic, so tell your colleagues that your salad contains shellfish if you share it.

Another problem is with reheating. If you reheat shellfish (or any fish for that matter) in the office microwave, the fatty oils break down and release a strong fishy smell. The following person who wants to use the microwave won’t thank you for this since their hot pocket will taste a wee bit fishy.

7 Curry is NSFW

Okay, curry is amazing. I’m going to be the first one to say that. The flavors are absolute heaven. But a big dish of curry just doesn’t belong in your lunch bag. Curries typically have a heavy scent that not everyone loves. And the smell of curry can stick around for a lot longer than you’d want.

The reason for this dish’s intense aroma is because it’s full of fragrant spices and herbs like cardamom, ginger, cumin, coriander, cloves, and turmeric. While these ingredients pack curry full of health benefits, it might not be the best idea to bring this into your next “Lunch and Learn” meeting. But if you’re absolutely dying for Indian or Thai food at work, try getting a few co-workers together for a group order. After all, “Working together is success.“

6 Peanuts? You Must Be Nuts!

On a recent flight from Antigua to London, a 14-year-old girl suffered a severe allergic reaction (known as anaphylaxis) when a fellow passenger opened a bag of peanuts. The girl didn’t eat a peanut, she didn’t even touch one, but the proximity was enough to cause her to black out.

Fortunately, a nurse was on hand to administer oxygen and give the girl two shots from an EpiPen. In this case, the girl’s mother had asked staff to tell passengers not to eat the complimentary peanuts, but one passenger took no notice.

There are many benefits to eating peanuts. They cut the risk of heart disease, are an excellent source of proteins, and help you concentrate. An ideal snack, it would seem, but not if you are going to send a colleague into anaphylactic shock.

5 Donut Bring Any Krispy Kreme

“There are donuts in the breakroom!”

It’s the announcement we all love and hate. Donuts are completely irresistible. And there’s a biological reason for this: we crave high-calorie, high-fat food because it gives our body an energy boost. When we eat a donut, we get a dopamine rush to the brain that urges us to eat just one more (this time with sprinkles).

But donuts are nothing more than deep-fried cake dough with no food value. If you look into an empty box of donuts, you will see that the bottom is coated with oil, as is your stomach lining. Still, people insist on bringing donuts into the office, even though most people are trying to eat healthy on some level. Try to eat just one—show Jill from accounting that you have iron willpower.

No, it’s best to reserve donuts for special occasions and not have them constantly around the office.

4 Don’t Pack Anything with Garlic

Garlic has a lot going for it. Among other benefits, it can:

• Reduce harmful cholesterol levels
• Protect against some cancers
• Act as an antibiotic
• Help ward off the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Give your immune system a boost
• Cut high blood pressure levels

Unfortunately, it is also pungent and lingers on your breath for a long time. You might not notice this yourself, but you might find that some of your colleagues keep their distance if you snacked on a garlic-rich snack.

There are some things that you can do to combat garlic breath. Try drinking milk after your snack, eating some parsley, or thoroughly brushing your teeth.

3 Beware the Big Gulp

Soda, we love it and hate it at the same time. Soda may be a sweet drink with a pick-me-up of caffeine, but this forbidden nectar can be deadly when consumed in abundance. And many of us like to consume it in abundance. Drinking soda while mindlessly working can increase sugar consumption, caffeine consumption, chemicals, and even artificial coloring.

Instead, try grabbing cold water with a lemon wedge. Not only will you save money as a daily soda—or three or four—will add up, but your desk will also stay free from sticky spills while your body will remain more alert without a caffeine headache numbing your thoughts.

2 No Kimchi for Me

You must have a cruel streak and dislike your workmates if you bring kimchi to the office. Kimchi has many beneficial properties, but it also has a strong, pungent smell that will quickly dominate your office space and linger for hours. That it is smelly is hardly surprising as fermented cabbage is the main ingredient.

Believe it or not, some Korean scientists are hard at work trying to reduce the smell of kimchi to make it more acceptable to western taste buds, but purists insist that the smell is an integral part of the kimchi experience. This may be so, but bringing it to the office is not a good idea.

So far, not many people are likely to bring kimchi to work. But it is becoming increasingly popular, and it is only a matter of time. Better to introduce a no-kimchi rule beforehand.

1 The Bottomless Bag of Chips

Let’s be honest—half your potato chips will disappear the moment you open the bag. Your colleagues might help themselves to one or two, and before you know it, the entire bag is gone. And you’ll find Dorito’s fingerprints are all over that contract.

And don’t get me started on the loud crunching coming from the next cubicle!

But you’re not missing much. Chips are devoid of healthy ingredients and high in fat, calories, and salt. They fill you up and are temptingly convenient, but they bring you no benefits at all. You might as well nibble on your pencil for all the good that potato chips do you—in fact, your pencil would be a healthier option.

Also, brown chips may contain acrylamide, which might increase your chance of contracting cancer. Acrylamide forms naturally as a result of cooking temperatures. Manufacturers are trying to reduce the amount of this chemical in their chips by changing the cooking temperatures – but there is still a risk.

If you like munching on something while you are typing away, then try substituting healthier alternatives such as dried fruit, kale chips, or trail mix.