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Category

7 bans

USA ✕ Food & Drink ✕

Here are 7 entries for banned food & drink in the USA: what was banned, when, why, and whether the ban is still in force. Tap any item for the full story.

USABannedKinder Surprise eggsBanned in the US because a 1938 food law forbids candy with a non-edible object inside. CBP seizes the eggs at the border, but Kinder Joy, with its toy in a separate half, is legal.Food & DrinkSince 1938Details →USABannedTraditional haggisTraditional haggis is banned in the US because a 1971 USDA rule bars livestock lungs from human food. Lung-free haggis made in the US is legal to sell.Food & DrinkSince 1971Details →USARestrictedStevia (Leaf & Crude Extracts)The FDA blocked stevia imports in 1991 as an unsafe food additive. Purified extracts were cleared in 2008, but whole-leaf and crude stevia still can't be sold as sweeteners in the US.Food & DrinkSince 1991Details →USABannedBrominated vegetable oil (BVO)Banned in US food and drinks since 2 August 2024 by the FDA, with a compliance deadline of 2 August 2025. The UK banned it in 1997 and the EU in 2008.Food & DrinkSince 2024-08-02Details →USARestrictedRaw milk (interstate sales)Selling raw milk across state lines has been banned since 9 September 1987 under 21 CFR 1240.61. Sales inside a state depend on state law; aged raw-milk cheese is exempt.Food & DrinkSince 1987-09-09Details →USARestrictedRed Dye No. 3FDA revoked approval on 15 January 2025 under the Delaney Clause after cancer findings in male rats. Food makers must stop using it by 15 January 2027; California's ban also starts in 2027.Food & DrinkSince 2025-01-15Details →USABan liftedAbsintheBanned in the US in 1912 over fears about thujone, then legal again in 2007 once makers showed their absinthe was 'thujone-free' (under 10 ppm). Labels still face strict rules.Food & DrinkBanned 1912Details →

Frequently Asked Questions

What food & drink are banned in the USA?

Our list has 6 banned or restricted food & drink in the USA, including Kinder Surprise eggs (1938), Traditional haggis (1971), Stevia (Leaf & Crude Extracts) (1991) and Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) (2024-08-02).

Have any of these bans been lifted?

Yes, including Absinthe (1912). Lifted bans stay on the list, marked "Ban lifted", so you can see how the rules changed.

Is this list up to date?

We review entries regularly and add new bans as they happen. Laws change, so check an official government source before you travel or act on this information.

Laws change often and many bans have exceptions. This list is for general information, not legal or travel advice. Check official government sources before you travel. Last updated: 02/11/2026.