16. Kinder Surprise eggs
Don’t worry: there aren’t any harmful ingredients in Kinder chocolate. The reason this popular sweet treat is banned in the US is because the placement of the toy inside the chocolate egg is considered dangerous. A non-edible object inside an edible one is classed as a choking hazard by the US Food and Drug Administration. Happily, an alternative product called Kinder Joy is considered safer and is now available.
15. Fugu
The poisonous blowfish fugu is considered a delicacy in Japan and Korea – but eating it has been compared to playing Russian roulette. Fugu contains a dangerous neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, and unless the fish is prepared correctly it can cause death by paralysing the consumer’s muscles, leading to asphyxiation. It’s banned in Europe and can only be prepared by specially licensed chefs in Japan. The delicacy is more widely available in China, though.
14. Candy corn
The news that the US Food and Drug Administration will ban Red No. 3 food dye in food products in America from January 2027 sent shockwaves through the snack industry. It means companies and products that currently use the dye, such as Brach’s candy corn or Dubble Bubble Original Twist Bubble Gum, will need to eliminate it from recipes by that date. Could this be the end of candy corn as we know it?
