TheFDAand USDA both enforce laws and regulations on foods so that consumers remain safe.
For now, the product remains banned for sale because it’s deemed a choking hazard.
However, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been attempts to import it.
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Horse Meat
To be clear, it’s not illegal to eat horse meat in the U.S. ## Shark Fins
Believe it or not, shark fins are not entirely banned in the United States.
Currently, only 12 states uphold anofficial banon the sale of shark fins.
However, the act of shark finning itself has been illegal in U.S. waters since 2000.
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Shark fin soup is actually considered to be a luxury dish in several Asian countries, especially China.
This toxin is known to cause paralysis and even death.
With this in mind, you may wonder, why would anyone want to consume this dish?
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Apparently, it’s regarded as a delicacy in the sushi world where it’s more widely known asfugu.
The pudding is typically presented and served to guests within the stomach of the sheep.
Traditionally, it’s consumed onBurns Nightin Scotland, a countrywide event that honors Scottish poet, Robert Burns.
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Ackee Fruit
Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica.
Beluga Caviar
As of 2005, the U.S.
The ban was set in place in hopes of thwarting the species' extinction.
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There is a compound in sassafras oil calledsafrole, which is a known carcinogen.
ThePecorino cheese, which is made from unpasteurized sheep’s milk, contains the larvae of a particular fly.
These maggots evidently facilitate the fermentation of the cheese.
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Once the larvae hatch, they begin to eat through the cheese, which effectively makes it softer.
The cheese is then served with the maggots still lodged in it.
Casu marzu has been a tradition in Sardinia, Itay, for many years.
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However, theEUand the United States have banned the cheese for health reasons.
Selling of Ortolan became illegal in France in 1999, 20 years after theEU deemed it a protected species.
According toNOAA Fisheries, “Commercial and recreational harvest is generally banned in U.S. federal waters.”
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The species is often eaten inTurks & Caicos, even though it’s an endangered species.
The liver is fattened by force-feeding the animal with grain and fat until the liver swells.
A nationwide ban has yet to be enforced.
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However, it may be on the horizon with California’s successful ban this year.
In addition, theFDA regulates the number of fisheach boat is allowed to catch.
Sea Turtles
Sea turtles are caught and killed for their meat.
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In 2007, theU.S.
Fish & Wildlife Servicereported that conservationists estimated that 35,000 sea turtles are consumed annually in Calfornia alone.
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