Feeling hungry for haggis? Fancy some foie gras? Peckish for poppy seeds? Depending on where you are in the world, your foodie hankering could in fact be illegal.
From poppy seeds in Saudi Arabia, to samosas in Al Shabaab-controlled Somalia, a new infographic explores the world’s weirdest banned foods.
From kangaroo meat and haggis, to raw milk and jelly cups; there’s a whole wide world of weird food hangups to be discovered in a fresh infographic from Pokies.net.au
There are many different foodstuffs, which are banned across the world’s 196 countries for a whole smorgasbord of different reasons.
From health concerns and animal rights, to religious beliefs and public hygiene, every nation has its own particular hangups about food – resulting in some very bizarre bans.
A brand new delves into the weird world of banned foods across the globe, cataloguing some of the most unusual, unexpected and inexplicable rules and regulations.
Health concerns
For a country with very lax policies on chemicals and supplements in food, the United States is surprisingly stringent when it comes to choking hazards. European children’s favourite, Kinder Eggs, are banned in the States because they contravene the 1938 Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act which bans items containing a “non-nutritive object”.
Other nations are less concerned about citizens swallowing tiny toys and more worried about the long term consequences of chemicals in their cuisine.
Australia and New Zealand have recently toughened up on farm reared salmon which is given its pink colour artificially by feeding the fish astaxanthin, a substance derived from petrochemicals. The USA and the EU are yet to impose restrictions on this potentially harmful foodstuff.
Religious reasons
One of the most bizarre banned foods featured has to be the humble samosa.
This savoury triangular treat has been outlawed by the Islamic extremist group, Al-Shabaab, who currently control significant swathes of Somalia. Their rationale? The three-sided shape of the snack represents the Christian Holy Trinity.
Strict Singapore
One nation, which makes more than one appearance on the brand new infographic is Singapore.
This comparatively small country has lots of laws about food, many of which are somewhat unusual. For starters, the nation has completely banned chewing gum in a bid to keep its public spaces clean.
Poppy seeds are also illegal in the country because they are considered “prohibited goods” by Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau.