12 Foods Americans Eat That People From Other Countries Would Never Touch

by N/A, 10 years ago | 2 min read

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These dangerous ingredients are hiding in a lot of food in the U.S. and they can have an extremely negative effect on your health.

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1. Carrageenan -- Instant formulas banned in the European Union

This is commonly used in non-dairy milk as a thickener. It can cause inflammation and cancer.

2. Azodicarbonamide -- Banned in Singapore

Azodicarbonamide has been linked to asthma. It's used to bleach bread but it also found in pasta, sneakers and yoga mats.

3. Olestra -- Banned in Europe, Canada and other countries

Olestra was a fat substitute that gained popularity in the 90s. It caused a lot of intestinal issues and vitamin deficiencies.

4. Arsenic -- Banned in the European Union

Arsenic is used to help livestock grow and to give meat a pink color. However, when it reaches an animal's internal organs, it can cause cancer to people who consume it.

5. GMOs -- Banned in parts of California, Australia, the European Union and all of New Zealand and Japan

The effects of consuming GMOs still aren't known to many people and that's why any countries are wary of them.

6. Ractopamine -- Banned in Russia, China and the European Union

This chemical is fed to a large percentage of pigs in the U.S. It's a stress hormone for fast growth that also makes the animals very uncomfortable. It also causes headaches, insomnia and other stress-related issues in humans.

7. Pink Slime -- Banned in the European Union and Canada

This mixture of ammonia-treated meat trimmings is usually used as filler in school lunches. It reduces the cost of meat by 3%, but also causes food poisoning and other illnesses.

8. Brominated Vegetable Oil -- Banned in 100+ countries

Bromine is a toxic chemical that causes many different diseases like thyroid problems and even birth defects. Brominated vegetable oil is used to keep flavors within sports drinks from separating.

9. Atrazine -- Banned in the European Union

This is a widely used pesticide that used on sugar cane and corn. It has been known to leak into food. It can cause fertility problems.

10. Hormonal Milk & Meat -- Banned in Japan, China, the European Union, and Australia

20% of the U.S. milk supply contains Bovine Growth Hormone and is linked to various cancers.

11. Irradiated Meat -- Banned in the European Union

Oftentimes meat is exposed to low levels of radiation so that it can be preserved for longer. The effects that doing this to meat can have on those that consume it are still not known.

12. Bromated Flour-- Banned in the European Union, China, Brazil and Canada

This type of flour is found a wide variety of bread products (wraps, hot dog buns, and rolls but can cause thyroid problems, cancer and kidney disease.