10 American Foods That Are Banned in Other Countries
July 10, 2013
Story at-a-glance
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Many foods sold in the US are banned in other countries due
to harmful additives, growth promoters, genetically
engineered ingredients or other dangerous practices
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This includes farm-raised salmon, Hawaiian (GMO) papaya,
artificial food dyes, arsenic-laced chicken,
ractopamine-tainted meat, bromate-containing drinks and
bread, olestra, carcinogenic preservatives, and rBGH-laced
milk
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To avoid potentially hazardous foods and harmful ingredients
permitted in the US food supply, ditching processed foods
entirely is your best option
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Also swap out your regular meat sources to organic,
grass-fed/pasture-raised versions of beef and poultry. The
same goes for dairy products and animal by-products such as
eggs
Farmed salmon are raised on a wholly unnatural diet of
grains along with a concoction of antibiotics and other drugs. This diet
leaves the fish with unappetizing grayish flesh, so to compensate,
they're fed synthetic astaxanthin made from petrochemicals, which has
not been approved for human consumption. Farmed Salmon fed these
chemicals are banned in Australia and New Zealand.
By Dr. Mercola
Americans are slowly waking up to the sad fact that much of the
food sold in the US is far inferior to the same foods sold in other
nations. In fact, many of the foods you eat are BANNED in other
countries.
Here, I’ll review 10 American foods that are banned elsewhere,
which were featured in a recent MSN article.1
Seeing how the overall
health of Americans is so much lower than other industrialized
countries, you can’t help but wonder whether toxic foods such as
these might play a role in our skyrocketing disease rates.
#1: Farm-Raised Salmon
If you want to maximize health benefits from fish, you want to
steer clear of farmed fish, particularly farmed salmon fed dangerous
chemicals. Wild salmon gets its bright pinkish-red color from
natural carotenoids in their diet. Farmed salmon, on the other hand,
are raised on a wholly unnatural diet of grains (including
genetically engineered varieties), plus a concoction of antibiotics
and other drugs and chemicals not shown to be safe for humans.
This diet leaves the fish with unappetizing grayish flesh so to
compensate, they’re fed synthetic astaxanthin made from
petrochemicals, which has not been approved for human consumption
and has well known toxicities. According to the featured article,
some studies suggest it can potentially damage your eyesight. More
details are available in yesterday’s article.
Where it's banned: Australia
and New Zealand
How can you tell whether a salmon is wild or farm-raised? The
flesh of wild sockeye salmon is bright red, courtesy of its natural
astaxanthin content. It’s also very lean, so the fat marks, those
white stripes you see in the meat, are very thin. If the fish is
pale pink with wide fat marks, the salmon is farmed.
Avoid Atlantic salmon, as typically salmon labeled "Atlantic
Salmon" currently comes from fish farms. The two designations you
want to look for are: “Alaskan salmon,” and “sockeye salmon,” as
Alaskan sockeye is not allowed to be farmed. Please realize that the
vast majority of all salmon sold in restaurants is farm raised.
So canned salmon labeled "Alaskan Salmon" is a good bet, and if
you find sockeye salmon, it's bound to be wild. Again, you can tell
sockeye salmon from other salmon by its color; its flesh is bright
red opposed to pink, courtesy of its superior astaxanthin content.
Sockeye salmon actually has one of the highest concentrations of
astaxanthin of any food.
#2: Genetically Engineered Papaya
Most Hawaiian papaya is now genetically engineered to be
resistant to ringspot virus. Mounting research now shows that
animals fed genetically engineered foods, such as corn and soy,
suffer a wide range of maladies, including intestinal damage,
multiple-organ damage,
massive tumors,
birth defects, premature death, and near complete
sterility by the third generation of offspring. Unfortunately,
the gigantic human lab experiment is only about 10 years old, so we
are likely decades away from tabulating the human casualties.
Where it's banned: The European
Union
Unfortunately, it’s clear that the US government is not in a
position to make reasonable and responsible decisions related to
genetically engineered foods at this point, when you consider the
fact that the Obama administration has placed former Monsanto
attorney and Vice President, Michael Taylor, in charge of US food
safety, and serious conflicts of interest even reign supreme within
the US Supreme Court! That’s right. Supreme Court Justice Clarence
Thomas is also a former Monsanto attorney, but refuses to
acknowledge any conflict of interest.
#3: Ractopamine-Tainted Meat
The beta agonist drug
ractopamine (a repartitioning agent that increases protein
synthesis) was recruited for livestock use when researchers found
that the drug, used in asthma, made mice more muscular. This reduces
the overall fat content of the meat. Ractopamine is currently used
in about 45 percent of US pigs, 30 percent of ration-fed cattle, and
an unknown percentage of turkeys are pumped full of this drug in the
days leading up to slaughter. Up to 20 percent of ractopamine
remains in the meat you buy from the supermarket, according to
veterinarian Michael W. Fox.
Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have been "poisoned" from
eating pigs fed the drug, and ractopamine is banned from use in food
animals in no less than 160 different countries due to its harmful
health effects! Effective February 11, 2013, Russia issued a ban on
US meat imports, slated to last until the US agrees to certify that
the meat is ractopamine-free. At present, the US does not even test
for the presence of this drug in meats sold. In animals, ractopamine
is linked to reductions in reproductive function, increase of
mastitis in dairy herds, and increased death and disability.
It’s also known to affect the human cardiovascular system, and is
thought to be responsible for hyperactivity, and may cause
chromosomal abnormalities and behavioral changes.
Where it's banned: 160
countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of
China (Taiwan)
#4: Flame Retardant Drinks
If you live in the US and drink Mountain Dew and some other
citrus-flavored sodas and sports drinks, then you are also getting a
dose of a synthetic chemical called
brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which was originally patented by
chemical companies as a flame retardant.
BVO has been shown to bioaccumulate in human tissue and breast
milk, and animal studies have found it causes reproductive and
behavioral problems in large doses. Bromine is a central nervous
system depressant, and a common endocrine disruptor. It’s part of
the halide family, a group of elements that includes fluorine,
chlorine and iodine. When ingested, bromine competes for the same
receptors that are used to capture iodine. This can lead to iodine
deficiency, which can have a very detrimental impact on your health.
Bromine toxicity can manifest as skin rashes, acne, loss of
appetite, fatigue, and cardiac arrhythmias. According to the
featured article:
"The FDA has flip-flopped on BVO's safety originally
classifying it as 'generally recognized as safe' but reversing
that call now defining it as an 'interim food additive' a
category reserved for possibly questionable substances used in
food."
Where it's banned: Europe and
Japan
#5: Processed Foods Containing Artificial Food Colors and Dyes
More than 3,000 food additives -- preservatives, flavorings,
colors and other ingredients -- are added to US foods, including
infant foods and foods targeted to young children. Meanwhile, many
of these are banned in other countries, based on research showing
toxicity and hazardous health effects, especially with respect to
adverse effects on children’s behavior. For example, as reported in
the featured article:
“Boxed Mac & Cheese, cheddar flavored crackers, Jell-O
and many kids' cereals contain red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and/or
blue 2, the most popularly-used dyes in the United States.
Research has shown this rainbow of additives can cause
behavioral problems as well as cancer, birth defects and other
health problems in laboratory animals. Red 40 and yellow 6 are
also suspected of causing an allergy-like hypersensitivity
reaction in children. The Center for Science in the Public
Interest reports that some dyes are also "contaminated with
known carcinogens.”
In countries where these food colors and dyes are banned, food
companies like Kraft employ natural colorants instead, such as
paprika extract, beetroot, and annatto. The food blogger and
activist
Vani Hari, better known as “Food
Babe,” recently launched a Change.org petition2
asking Kraft to remove artificial dyes from American Mac & Cheese to
protect American children from the well-known dangers of these dyes.
Where it's banned: Norway and
Austria. In 2009, the British government advised companies to
stop using food dyes by the end of that year. The European Union
also requires a warning notice on most foods containing dyes.
#6: Arsenic-Laced Chicken
Arsenic-based drugs are approved for use in animal feed in the US
because they make animals grow quicker and make the meat appear
pinker (i.e. "fresher"). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has stated these products are safe because they contain organic
arsenic, which is less toxic than the other inorganic form,
which is a known carcinogen.
The problem is, scientific reports surfaced stating that the
organic arsenic could transform into inorganic arsenic, which has
been found in elevated levels in supermarket chickens. The inorganic
arsenic also contaminates manure where it can eventually migrate
into drinking water and may also be causing heightened arsenic
levels in US rice.
In 2011, Pfizer announced it would voluntarily stop marketing its
arsenic-based feed additive Roxarsone, but there are still several
others on the market. Several environmental groups have filed a
lawsuit against the FDA calling for their removal from the market.
In the European Union, meanwhile, arsenic-based compounds have
never been approved as safe for animal feed.
Where it's banned: The European
Union
#7: Bread with Potassium Bromate
You might not be aware of this, but nearly every time you eat
bread in a restaurant or consume a hamburger or hotdog bun you are
consuming
bromide, as it is commonly used in flours. The use of potassium
bromate as an additive to commercial breads and baked goods has been
a huge contributor to bromide overload in Western cultures.
Bromated flour is “enriched” with potassium bromate. Commercial
baking companies claim it makes the dough more elastic and better
able to stand up to bread hooks. However, Pepperidge Farm and other
successful companies manage to use only unbromated flour without any
of these so-called “structural problems.” Studies have linked
potassium bromate to kidney and nervous system damage,
thyroid problems, gastrointestinal discomfort, and cancer. The
International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies potassium
bromate as a possible carcinogen.
Where it's banned: Canada,
China and the EU
#8: Olestra/Olean
Olestra, aka Olean, created by Procter & Gamble, is a calorie-
and cholesterol-free fat substitute used in fat-free snacks like
chips and French fries. Three years ago, Time Magazine3
named it one of the worst 50 inventions ever, but that hasn’t
stopped food companies from using it to satisfy people’s mistaken
belief that a fat-free snack is a healthier snack. According to the
featured article:
“Not only did a 2011 study from Purdue University
conclude rats fed potato chips made with Olean gained weight,
there have been several reports of adverse intestinal reactions
to the fake fat including diarrhea, cramps and leaky bowels. And
because it interferes with the absorption of fat soluble
vitamins such as A, D, E and K, the FDA requires these vitamins
be added to any product made with Olean or olestra.”
Where it's banned: The UK and
Canada
#9: Preservatives BHA and BHT
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
are commonly used preservatives that can be found in breakfast
cereal, nut mixes, chewing gum, butter spread, meat, dehydrated
potatoes, and beer, just to name a few. BHA is known to cause cancer
in rats, and may be a cancer-causing agent in humans as well. In
fact, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services,
National Toxicology Program's 2011 Report on Carcinogens, BHA "is
reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” It may also
trigger allergic reactions and hyperactivity, while BHT can cause
organ system toxicity.
Where it's banned: The UK
doesn't allow BHA in infant foods. BHA and BHT are also banned
in parts of the European Union and Japan.
#10: Milk and Dairy Products Laced with rBGH
Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is the largest selling
dairy animal drug in America. RBGH is a synthetic version of natural
bovine somatotropin (BST), a hormone produced in cows' pituitary
glands. Monsanto developed the recombinant version from genetically
engineered E. coli bacteria and markets it under the brand name
"Posilac."
It’s injected into cows to increase milk production, but it is
banned in at least 30 other nations because of its dangers to human
health, which include an increased risk for colorectal, prostate,
and breast cancer by promoting conversion of normal tissue cells
into cancerous ones. Non-organic dairy farms frequently have
rBGH-injected cows that suffer at least 16 different adverse health
conditions, including very high rates of mastitis that contaminate
milk with pus and antibiotics.
"According to the American Cancer Society, the increased
use of antibiotics to treat this type of rBGH-induced
inflammation 'does promote the development of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but the extent to which these are
transmitted to humans is unclear,'" the featured article
states.
Many have tried to inform the public of the risks of using this
hormone in dairy cows, but their attempts have been met with
overwhelming opposition by the powerful dairy and pharmaceutical
industries, and their government liaisons. In 1997, two
Fox-affiliate
investigative journalists, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, attempted
to air a program exposing the truth about the dangers of rBGH.
Lawyers for Monsanto, a major advertiser with the Florida network,
sent letters promising "dire consequences" if the story aired.
Despite decades of evidence about the dangers of rBGH, the FDA
still maintains it's safe for human consumption and ignores
scientific evidence to the contrary. In 1999, the United Nations
Safety Agency ruled unanimously not to endorse or set safety
standards for rBGH milk, which has effectively resulted in an
international ban on US milk.4
The Cancer Prevention Coalition, trying for years to get the use of
rBGH by the dairy industry banned, resubmitted a petition to FDA
Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, in January 2010.5
Although the FDA stubbornly sticks to its position that milk from
rBGH-treated cows is no different than milk from untreated cows,
this is just plain false and is not supported by science. The only
way to avoid rBGH is to look for products labeled as “rBGH-free” or
“No rBGH.”
Where it's banned: Australia,
New Zealand, Israel, EU and Canada
Take Control of Your Health with REAL Food
There are many other examples where the US federal regulatory
agencies have sold out to industry at the expense of your health,
while other countries have chosen to embrace the precautionary
principle in order to protect their citizens. If you want to avoid
these questionable foods and other potentially harmful ingredients
permitted in the US food supply, then ditching processed foods
entirely is your best option. About 90 percent of the money
Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, so there is
massive room for improvement in this area for most people.
Next, you’ll want to swap out your regular meat sources to
organic, grass-fed/pasture-raised versions of beef and poultry. The
same goes for dairy products and animal by-products such as eggs.
Swapping your processed-food diet for one that focuses on fresh
whole foods is a necessity if you value your health. For a
step-by-step guide to make this a reality in your own life, whether
you live in the US or elsewhere, simply follow the advice in my
optimized
nutrition plan, starting with the
beginner
plan first.
© Copyright 1997-2013 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/10/banned-foods.aspx
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