Who would ban salt or ketchup? Around the world and even in space, certain foods are banned for all sorts of reasons, including a few that are probably in your kitchen pantry right now.
In the United States, a strong notion of individual choice means that we expect to get pretty much anything we want, especially when it comes to food. But in other countries, culture and politics means that certain foods are not available
Ketchup in France is served in schools only occasionally so that students don’t lose sight of traditional French cuisine. Salt and pepper may seem like something astronauts would not want to give up, but the truth is they can’t use it because the tasty grains would float away rather than stick to their food.
Norway, Austria and the countries of the European Union ban ingredients they deem harmful, such as chlorine used to wash chicken and certain food preservatives. More than half of Europe does not allow the use of genetically modified soybeans.
Speaking of Singapore, don’t even try to chew gum in that country! In an effort to keep the streets clean, Singapore banned chewing gum and violators can be fined $1,000 and face up to two years in prison. Check out this list for the reasons behind the top 15 banned foods.
