Foods That Have Been Banned or Restricted in the United States

Stick figure Sam Miller of Sam O’Nella Academy explained why several different foods from abroad have either been banned or restricted in the United States.

Banned and Controversial Foods

This list includes Casu Marzu (an Italian maggot fermented cheese), shark fin soup (made with real shark fins), akee (a West African fruit that can be poisonous if not cooked correctly), bird’s nest soup (the hardened saliva of the swiftlet bird), and the ortolan (a small bird who is cruelly fattened and then drowned in brandy).

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.