Americans adore their culinary variety, and you can snag (almost) anything you can imagine at diners, farms, markets, and specialty shops, yet a handful of foods have landed on the forbidden list. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed bans on several items because they’re deemed unsafe for consumption. Below you’ll find the top 10 foods that are surprisingly prohibited in the United States.
What Makes These Top 10 Foods Unavailable?
10 Haggis
Haggis is a hearty pudding made by stuffing a sheep’s stomach with a mixture of the animal’s liver, heart, and lungs, combined with beef, oatmeal, onions, cayenne pepper, and a medley of spices. Traditionally served with turnips and mashed potatoes, it stands as Scotland’s celebrated national dish.
Despite its cultural cachet, haggis is barred from entering the United States. The ban dates back to 1971 when the FDA prohibited any food containing animal lungs. Scotland has repeatedly petitioned to lift the restriction, but each effort has fallen short, leaving haggis off the American menu.
9 Beluga Caviar
The beluga sturgeon, the heavyweight champion of its family, can tip the scales at over 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds) and stretch more than 4.5 meters (15 feet) in length. Females take up to a quarter‑century to mature and release the coveted, buttery‑flavored eggs that form the world’s most prized caviar, ranging from light to dark gray and boasting the largest grain size.
In 2005, the United States halted further imports of beluga caviar due to rampant overfishing. At the time, America consumed roughly 60 % of the global supply, driving prices to about $200 per ounce. Unsustainable poaching and a thriving black market caused stocks to plummet by 90 %, prompting the ban.
8 Unpasteurized Milk
Raw, or unpasteurized, milk is the creamy liquid drawn straight from an animal’s udder without the heat treatment that kills harmful bacteria. While some tout its purported health benefits, the lack of pasteurization raises the risk of contamination with pathogens that can cause serious food‑borne illnesses, especially in children whose immune systems are still developing.
The FDA prohibits the interstate sale or distribution of raw milk, though individual states retain the authority to set their own rules. All 50 states allow personal consumption, but 20 forbid sales outright. Thirteen states permit retail sales, while 17 allow farm‑direct sales only.
Despite regulatory hurdles, a growing movement champions organic and locally sourced foods, arguing that raw milk delivers “good bacteria” and superior nutrition. States that do allow sales typically require warning labels that alert consumers to the potential presence of dangerous pathogens.
7 Sassafras Oil
Sassafras oil is distilled from the dried root bark of the sassafras tree, a plant that can reach 6‑12 meters (20‑40 ft) in height and sports slender branches, orange‑brown bark, oval leaves 8‑18 cm long, and small greenish‑yellow flowers.
Historically, Native American tribes employed sassafras for a range of medicinal purposes, from treating acne to easing urinary disorders and fevers. The oil also appeared in early Chinese remedies for rheumatism and trauma, and it was once a staple flavoring in American root beers and teas.
In 1979, the FDA barred sassafras bark, oil, and its constituent safrole from use as a food additive or flavoring after studies linked it to cancer. Excessive consumption can lead to poisoning, cementing its status as a prohibited ingredient.
6 Ortolan
The ortolan is a tiny bunting bird weighing less than an ounce, once celebrated as a decadent French delicacy. Chefs would cook it for eight minutes, serve it whole with its head still attached, and encourage diners to swallow it whole, bones and all.
France outlawed the capture and sale of ortolans in the 1990s, yet poachers persisted, driving a 30 % decline in the bird’s population. In response, French authorities tightened enforcement in 2007, making the killing, cooking, or smuggling of the species a crime throughout the European Union and the United States.
The birds are trapped during migration, confined in covered cages that simulate night, prompting them to gorge on grain and double in size. Legends claim that ancient emperors plucked out the birds’ eyes to make them think it was night, further inflating their appetite. Finally, the birds are tossed alive into vats of Armagnac, where they drown and marinate—a practice that has drawn worldwide condemnation.
5 Casu Marzu
Casu marzu, literally “rotten cheese,” is a Sardinian specialty famous for its live maggot infestation. After being soaked in brine, smoked, and left to ripen, the cheese is exposed to cheese flies, whose eggs hatch into larvae that feast on the cheese, secreting enzymes that further ferment the fats and create a silky, supersoft texture that can burn the tongue.
European Union hygiene standards deem the product illegal, and the United States bans it as well because it is unpasteurized and contains more than six mites per square inch, a level considered unsafe for consumption.
4 Shark Fins
The United States has outlawed shark finning, the practice of slicing off a shark’s fin and discarding the mutilated animal back into the ocean, where it often drowns, bleeds to death, or becomes prey for other marine life.
Shark fins are coveted for the luxurious Asian dish shark‑fin soup, a status symbol found in food stores, pharmacies, and fishing villages throughout Asia. The demand has spurred a brutal industry that targets sharks solely for their fins, ensuring that you won’t find this delicacy on U.S. menus any time soon.
3 Ackee Fruit
Ackee looks like a delightful tropical fruit, but if it’s not prepared correctly it can trigger severe vomiting, coma, or even death—a condition known in Jamaica as “Jamaican Vomiting Sickness.”
The fruit’s protective pod turns a vivid red and naturally splits, revealing bright yellow arilli that surround the toxic black seeds. In Jamaica, the ripe arilli are traditionally paired with codfish for the national dish “ackee and saltfish.”
Native to West Africa, the ackee was introduced to Jamaica in 1778 and later declared Jamaica’s national fruit. The FDA banned fresh ackee imports, though frozen or canned versions are permitted, keeping the fresh fruit off U.S. shelves.
2 Mirabelle Plum
The mirabelle plum is a small, oval‑shaped, dark‑yellow fruit that thrives on mirabelle plum trees. Sweet and aromatic, it’s a favorite for preserves, desserts, and pies, with the majority of world production centered in France.
Since 1996, the fruit has enjoyed Protected Geographical Indication status, guaranteeing its authenticity and making it exceedingly difficult to import the plum into the United States.
1 Kinder Surprise Chocolate Eggs
Kinder Surprise Chocolate Eggs are a worldwide sensation—except in the United States. Over 3.5 billion of these hollow chocolate eggs, each hiding a tiny plastic capsule with a collectible toy, are sold every year, but U.S. law keeps them out of the market.
The ban stems from a 1938 regulation that prohibits candy containing a non‑nutritive object. Despite numerous attempts to import the classic egg, the FDA has repeatedly recalled the product, maintaining the prohibition.
This May, Kinder announced a U.S.‑compliant version called the Joy Egg, which separates the toy from the chocolate by sealing them in two distinct halves. The new design meets FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, offering American fans a legal way to enjoy a similar treat.