Five Foods That Are Banned in Other Countries But Not the U.S.

Most people assume that if a food is approved by the FDA, then it's safe to eat, after all isn't it their job to make sure things are safe for us? But there are some foods that are legal here, and not in other countries.

Here is a list from the fitness website FitPerez.com of five food ingredients that other countries have banned because of health concerns. I found this to be very interesting. See what you think.

1.)  Yellow 5.  It's in cake, candy, macaroni and cheese, sports drinks, soda, pet food, and cheese just to name a few. It's been banned by a lot of countries in Europe because it's made from something called "coal tar," which is also used to make floor sealant.  Blue 1, Blue 2, and Yellow 6 have ALSO been banned in other countries. Studies have shown that brighter colors in processed foods make us think they taste better. So they still haven't been banned here.

2.)  Olestra.  It's a substitute used in a lot of fat-free potato chips. England and Canada have both banned it over possible health concerns including rear-end leakage. Some people claim the only reason it's still legal in the U.S. is because Procter & Gamble spent a half billion dollars creating it. Can you remember the commercials where they warned people about anal leakage? We have all had to tried the fat-free chips though!

3.)  Brominated Vegetable Oil.  It's also known as "BVO", and it's been banned in over 100 countries.  It's in a lot of sports drinks and fruit-flavored sodas. It's what keeps the artificial flavoring from floating to the top so you don't have to shake it up before you drink it. Researchers say it causes thyroid issues, autoimmune disease, and cancer.  And the main ingredient is bromine, which is linked to birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss. Did you say something? I can't hear you.

4.)  Azodicarbonamide. It's a chemical compound used to bleach flour so companies don't have to wait a week for the flour to whiten natually. It's in frozen dinners, some pastas and some types of bread, and it's been linked to asthma. Here's something interesting, if a company in Singapore uses it, they face almost a half-million dollar fine and up to 15 years in prison. Scary.

5.)  Arsenic. The FDA allows farmers to use it in chicken feed to promote growth and fight off parasites. It also makes the chicken's skin more pink, which means the meat looks fresher longer.

There is so many things to think about after reading the list of foods here. The brominated vegetable oil is the one that bothered me the most. It has really opened up my eyes and I think I will show this article to my children too. Is this going to make you change the way you eat or maybe look at ingredients closer?