Image source – Pixabay
Food, in its entirety, helps with sustenance and survival. However, most of us consider food to be a way of life. And regardless of how you feel about food, everyone has a favorite, from basics like chocolates and crackers to something elaborate like cuisines and more.
And that’s the thing about food, not only do you get to taste, explore and pick what you like. But you also get to travel around the world through different cuisines. Food can help you learn things about yourselves and allows you to experiment and explore.
And while these sound amazing! There are a few food items that you would never find if you ever decided to spend time at either of these places! Curious to find out what they are? Here is a list of 5 snack items you wouldn’t be able to get your hands on!
Chewing Gum – Singapore
While it wouldn’t be considered a food item, bubble gum is a conventional item that many seem to like. Not only does it help with combating stress and anxiety, but it also keeps hunger at bay. So why is chewing gum banned in Singapore?
Image source – Unsplash
Well, it’s more so the importing and selling rather than the chewing. Still confused? While there is a misconception surrounding gum-chewing being illegal in Singapore, smuggling gum into the country could result in a $5,500 fine along with a year in jail. This is a result of the incident in 1992 when the country’s public transportation system (SMRT) was brought to a halt due to the sensor doors being stuck.
However, if you did purchase gum at the airport and chew it for the duration of your whole trip, you’re fine. Just try not to smuggle in any!
Ketchup – France
This sweet condiment seems to be a favorite all over the world, but France happens to have a bone to pick with this particular food item. Isn’t that quite odd?
How did this come about? France wanted to promote healthy eating in school and colleges. And to do that, they decided to ban the condiment in cafeterias nationwide – schools and colleges. However, there’s a catch. They can only have ketchup with French fries and nothing else.
Image source – Unsplash
And this meant that students couldn’t enjoy traditional dishes like boeuf bourguignon, veal stew and more with ketchup. And to make matters worse, they only got to eat French fries once a week, usually with steak hache accompanying it, which doesn’t sound as bad. But there is a misconception that the food police might send students to detention due to them dipping their burgers into the ketchup.
Kinder Surprise Eggs – USA
These sweet little treats have been popular with kids and adults alike all over. But if you’re in the USA and have the sudden urge to try these out, then good luck finding these. Why?
These chocolate eggs are a delightful Italian sweet that’s a fan favorite solely due to the tiny toy hidden inside a plastic capsule. But according to a 1938 US Law, inedible objects inside food products shouldn’t exist. US Custom makes it a point to seize thousands of Kinder eggs from people’s luggage. But why did they ban them?
Image source – Wikimedia
The ban was a precaution to prevent small children from choking on the toys since they wouldn’t know about it. However, many chocolate fans don’t agree with this. And have signed a petition for the government to change its stance. Alas, they haven’t been successful so far.
Fugu – The European Union
A popular delicacy in Japan, this fish isn’t as popular everywhere else. Why’s that? While many know Fugu is toxic, many don’t know it contains lethal amounts of tetrodotoxin in its liver, ovaries, skin and eyes. This makes it 1,200 times more deadly than cyanide.
Image source – Unsplash
And this makes it incredibly dangerous to ingest. While the EU recognizes this, it does allow chefs with rigorous training to serve it only after they’re sure that all the toxic parts have been removed.
Farm-Raised Salmon – Australia & New Zealand
I know you’re thinking about how it can be dreadful? The wild Salmon is a popular delicacy in a lot of countries, partly because of its distinct pink flesh. And that’s something the farm-raised fish doesn’t exhibit. They feed these fishes antibiotics and chemicals to achieve the exact pink flesh like its wild counterpart.
Image source – Pixabay
While this is enough reason to ban these food items, these chemicals haven’t been tested for human consumption, and can severely damage your eyesight. So while farm-raised salmon is banned in these countries, you can treat yourself to some fresh wild salmon.
Should They Avoid Banning Food Items?
Most of these may seem absurd, partially due to how ordinary these food items are for us. However, a lot of these keep health and safety in mind. There have been many instances where people have come to a disagreement regarding the whole ban situation, especially when it comes to the kinder eggs.
Most people try smuggling these chocolate delights across the border from Canada. However, if you think about it, they can be a problem for the children, seeing how they would bite into the egg expecting nothing to be inside them.
While some items like Shark fins or beluga caviar seem like an obvious choice, this results in hurting the species for one particular part of their body, but it also results in endangering the species.
Banning a particular food item in a country may come off as unnecessary at first. But if it works towards avoiding an enormous amount of pain and torture for everyone involved, there isn’t anything wrong with it. However, most of the time, it is usually a result of trademark infringement, which doesn’t mean much to the public. And even though on most occasions the food is a necessity, it is usually nothing more than just a business opportunity for various big companies. While we do hope you steer clear of the items we’ve listed on here, we would like to know if any of these happen to be a favorite. Let us know below!
