Jolly Rancher Candies
In June 2025, the UK’s Food Standards Agency issued a recall for several Jolly Rancher products after tests found MOAH and MOSH—types of mineral oil hydrocarbons not permitted under UK food law. MOAH is considered potentially genotoxic, while MOSH can accumulate in organs over time. These same candies remain legal in the U.S., where no equivalent ban exists and such substances are regulated under more lenient standards.
Ractopamine-Treated Pork and Beef
Because of safety concerns, many nations ban or restrict the use of this drug during pig production, including all countries in the European Union, Russia and China, but that hasn’t stopped the U.S. pork industry from feeding it to an estimated 60 percent to 80 percent of American pigs to rapidly boost growth rates. Ractopamine is estimated to be given to as many as 80 percent of pigs in the United States.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ractopamine for use on pigs after just one human health study – an evaluation of six young, healthy men, one of whom dropped out because his heart began racing and pounding abnormally, and three years later, the FDA sent ractopamine’s sponsor a 14-page letter, accusing the company of withholding information about the drug’s “adverse animal drug experiences” and “safety and effectiveness.” Between March 2011 and January 2012 alone, the FDA received more than 160,000 reports of pigs suffering adverse reactions to ractopamine, with effects ranging from exhaustion and muscle tremors, to broken limbs, cardiovascular trouble and even increased aggression.
Red Dye No. 3 in Candy and Desserts
According to Thomas Galligan, principal scientist on additives at The Center for Science in the Public Interest, “The clearest example of FDA failure is the food dye Red 3,” which is “a chemical that FDA, itself, determined in 1990 causes cancer when eaten by animals, but in 2024, it is still authorized for use in food today.” The FDA has been reviewing Red Dye No. 3’s safety status, with ongoing discussions about potential restrictions.
Countries like Austria, Finland and Norway have even banned Twinkies completely. The FDA delisted Red Dye 3 for use in cosmetics back in 1990, after evidence emerged that it causes cancer in lab animals, but action to ban its use in U.S. was delayed. This means for decades, Americans have been consuming in their food what was considered too dangerous for makeup.
Potassium Bromate in Bread Products
Potassium bromate finds its way into bread dough to enhance its structural integrity, yielding a more substantial rise, cutting down baking time and imparting a pristine white color to the final loaves, but this chemical is also associated with adverse health effects, including cancer, impairment of the nervous system and damage to the kidneys, and while potassium bromate has been banned in various countries, such as the UK, Canada and Peru, it remains prevalent in numerous American bread variants, including bagel chips, rolls and even breadcrumbs.
Walk down any American grocery store bread aisle and you’re likely picking up products containing this potentially cancer-causing additive. The irony is striking – Americans trust their daily bread while other nations refuse to allow this ingredient anywhere near their food supply.
BHA and BHT Preservatives in Processed Foods
Kraft Stove Top Stuffing contains the preservatives BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), which have raised concerns due to suspicions of potential carcinogenic properties and their potential to hinder blood clotting, with the same going for instant mashed potatoes, which often contain BHA to keep it from spoiling on the shelf, and these preservatives have been banned in the UK, Japan and other European nations.
These preservatives extend shelf life but potentially shorten human life. European nations decided the convenience wasn’t worth the cancer risk, yet American consumers continue unknowingly consuming these chemicals in everyday comfort foods.
Brominated Vegetable Oil in Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew is unlikely to be found in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and India, and Mountain Dew may become increasingly hard to find in Canada due to bans on brominated vegetable oil or BVO, which is a stabilizer made with a blend of vegetable oil and bromine that allows citrus-flavored drinks to taste the same all the way down the bottle or can.
Animal studies have found that brominated vegetable oil can lead to issues with the heart, thyroid, and liver, as well as potential bromism, which has symptoms including memory loss and ataxia, and although the FDA removed BVO from its list of products that are generally believed to be safe decades ago and placed restrictions on the amount that could be used, a lack of evidence of its harmful effects on humans prevented a full ban in the U.S. until 2024. The citrusy kick comes with a side of potential memory loss – not exactly what you’d expect from a soft drink.
Synthetic Food Dyes in Skittles and Candies
Launched in 1971, Skittles has been delighting sweet-toothed kids and adults for decades, but that was until the European Commission banned the food additive titanium dioxide, also known as E171, in 2022, following an assessment by the European Food Safety Authority which could not rule out the risk that the additive could have a carcinogenic effect on humans. Skittles contain Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, but the country of Norway banned Skittles because the candy contains Titanium Dioxide.
These popular American desserts feature Yellow 5 and Red 40, and while these dyes have gained approval within the EU, they must be accompanied by cautionary labels indicating their potential to trigger adverse effects in children, but unfortunately, these dyes are often in food products intended for infants and young children, with no precautionary labeling mandated domestically. European parents get warnings – American parents get rainbow-colored treats without the heads-up.
PFAS Chemicals in Food Packaging
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals with grease, water, and heat-resistant properties that have been used in fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and takeout containers, and PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment (including drinking water) and human bodies, with ingestion of these chemicals linked to severe health issues, including cancer, immune dysfunction, and developmental problems.
The European Union, Denmark, and Canada have banned or are phasing out PFAS, reflecting a more precautionary approach to public health, though in February 2024, the FDA announced a major milestone – the voluntary phase-out of PFAS-based grease-proofing materials in food packaging. These “forever chemicals” earned their name because they literally never break down in your body or the environment.
Partially Hydrogenated Oils in Baked Goods
Pillsbury Doughboy’s biscuits can be enjoyed within minutes, yet it’s important to note that these baked goods contain partially hydrogenated soybean oil, a trans fat that has been linked to heart disease, and in addition to pre-made dough, partially hydrogenated soybean oil can also be found in baked goods, coffee creamers, margarine, microwave popcorn, potato chips and packaged snacks, among others.
Hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils got Coffee-mate banned in Austria, Hungary and several Scandinavian countries, with hydrogenated soybean oil found in food products such as: margarine, fried foods, baked goods, coffee creamers, crackers, pre-made dough, vegetable shortening, microwave popcorn, potato chips, packaged snacks. That morning coffee creamer might be clogging more than your arteries – it’s clogging America’s access to European markets.
High Fructose Corn Syrup in Everything
Derived from a blend of pure fructose and sugar, this sweetening agent has been associated with an array of health concerns, including obesity and type 2 diabetes, found in a wide spectrum of products, ranging from beverages to cereals and ice cream, and while no country has implemented an outright ban on this sweetener, certain measures have been taken in the UK and several European countries involving product restrictions.
You’ll find this corn-derived sweetener in American sodas, breakfast cereals, and even bread. European versions of the same products often use actual sugar or natural sweeteners instead. The difference is so stark that American tourists often notice Coca-Cola tastes different overseas – because it actually contains sugar rather than this processed corn syrup.
Americans consume foods daily that other nations consider too risky for their citizens. While the FDA maintains these substances are safe at current consumption levels, the growing list of countries banning these ingredients raises uncomfortable questions about what we’re really putting on our plates. Perhaps it’s time to ask why we accept what others reject.
