Craziest Food Laws From Around The World

Nations, like your people, are very picky about their food, and some countries have very strict regulations governing exactly what people can consume

These nations may limit the availability of certain products for cultural reasons, or because what is considered safe at your corner store might not be considered that way elsewhere

Mr. Dante! I need an ambulance at the Quickstop! So, today we're going to take a look at food laws and rules in other countries

Food Court is now in session. If you've ever read the classic Victor Hugo novel Les Miserables

or seen the Broadway musical or subsequent film adaptation starring sad Wolverine

then you know that the character Jean Valjean was imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his hungry family

Stole a loaf of bread. My sister's child was closed to death

That's pretty whack. His unjust imprisonment is an indictment of a legal system that criminalizes

poverty, which contributes to the story's theme surrounding the French Revolution. And whether it's because they're more sympathetic towards the hungry, or just trying to avoid

angering people to the point of overthrowing the government, it seems the good people of Italy

agree with Victor Hugo. In 2016, the country's highest court ruled that starving people can steal

small amounts of food necessary for their survival. The court issued its ruling on a

case involving an unhoused man who stole $4.50 worth of cheese and sausage from the store

So, not exactly the Italian job. The guy was just trying to stay alive. The court stated in its

ruling that the defendant wasn't guilty of a crime because of his condition and circumstances

at the time of the theft. Prove that he took possession of that small amount of food in the

face of an immediate and essential need for nourishment, acting therefore in a state of

necessity. Hmm, might be time to move to Italy. Since the dawn of human civilization, philosophers and kings have contemplated a single question so fundamental to the human condition that it transcends the particulars of any specific time or place

Is a sandwich a sandwich if it doesn't have bread? The question is now particularly relevant in Ireland, where the sandwich chain Subway has operated since 1998

After 22 years, however, an Irish court ruled that the bread Subway uses cannot be considered bread

as its ratio of sugar to flour far exceeds the legal limit

In other words, as a matter of Irish law, Subway's bread is actually more of a confectionary, literally a candy

Of course, the people at Subway have their own opinion on the matter because no restaurant that made its fortune on eating fresh wants to leave their customer base

thinking they can slap a slice of turkey between two Snickers bars and get the same experience

A spokesperson for the sandwich chain responded to the Irish court ruling by saying that Subway bread is well bread According to the chain we have been baking fresh bread in our restaurants for more than three decades and our guests return each day for sandwiches made on bread that smells as good as it tastes

If they sound offensive, they should be. If their bread isn't bread, can their sandwiches really be sandwiches

And if they're not sandwiches, then what the heck are they? Condiment delivery systems? Oh wait, that's every sandwich

It has been firmly established that there is a scientific link between sugar and obesity

However, the knowledge that too much of something is bad for you has never been a great deterrent

It's why people can still call in sick the Monday after the Super Bowl. Mommy's not okay

As a result, many public health initiatives have had to focus on encouraging people to consume less sugar

in a bid to promote healthier eating habits, Particularly concerned about its high obesity rate in children and desperate to reverse the trend

the nation of Chile took a fairly unconventional approach. It forbade companies from advertising high-sugar, high-fat food products directly to kids

a ban that squarely covers sugary cereals. What this means in practical terms is that cereal boxes in Chile can no longer feature cute cartoon mascots

like Toucan Sam, Tony the Tiger, or the Trix rabbit. Whoever happens to be on the Wheaties box is probably still fine, though

And as it turns out, Chile wasn't the only country that suspected the cartoon mascots on cereal boxes

didn't really have their children's best interests at heart. In 2021, Mexico implemented a similar ban on cereal mascots in the hopes of lowering obesity rates

and making that particular food less desirable to children. So, of course, the big question is, did it work

Well, the jury is still out on that one. I'm not going to be positive about anything. But for what it's worth, one 2023 study did conclude that the regulation's impact on childhood obesity was negligible

Huh. Guess all you can do is let them eat honey smacks. People often develop lifelong eating habits in childhood

which is why it's so important that kids are taught the right habits and not standing in the pantry eating room temperature pickles habits

At the end of the day, it's far easier to learn good habits when you're young than it is to unlearn bad habits when you're old

You don't want to know how many pickles we go through for each Weird History episode

That's why French schools have banned ketchup from cafeterias, because the condiment is known to be particularly high in sugar

The 2011 ban was part of a bid to curtail unhealthy eating habits and embrace ones that were more in line with French norms

Because in France, good eating habits aren't only about healthy living, they're also about preserving the French way of eating

which presumably involves a lot of frowning. That being said, officials did relent

on one small but important point. Schools can serve ketchup once a week

but only alongside fries. Because what kind of monster wouldn't let a kid

put ketchup on fries? Little Debbie snack cakes are a childhood staple

for many Americans and an adult staple if we being honest Being able to buy your own box of oatmeal cream pies is the reason most of us got jobs Among the company most popular treats are Swiss

Rolls, which are tiny fudge-covered chocolate cakes with sweet cream swirls. They're little

logs of deliciousness. Unfortunately for those looking to experience its delishiosity, the soft

and sugary pre-packaged treats aren't welcome everywhere. For example, Norway and Austria

outright banned the sale of Little Debbie Swiss rolls. Why? Well, it has nothing to do with the

sugar content or any kind of feud with the people of Switzerland. The problem is with some of the

artificial dyes in the rolls, yellow 5 and red 40. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

isn't worried because America doesn't ban food unless it's carrying a weapon, other countries

are more concerned, citing evidence that these and similar colorants may cause cancer over time

For this reason, Austria and Norway have banned all products containing the dyes

No word on what tiny Debra herself thinks of the ban. Few things can ruin your afternoon more quickly than stepping on a wad of old sticky gum

except stepping on it with your bare feet. In fact, gum is such an efficient day ruiner that lawmakers in Singapore implemented a unique law

prohibiting stores from either selling or importing chewing gum back in 1992

the same year as the infamous Bubblicious Riots. Okay, so there were no riots, and the law wasn't really about people stepping on gum

But it did have to do with the gum's fundamental ability to be annoying. According to The Guardian, the trigger, apparently, was the havoc that gum could cause on the

country's extremely expensive new underground system by covering the door sensors or simply

making a mess of the seats. In other words, they didn't want a bunch of Bazooka Joe literally gumming up the works

of their new subway. And if you're thinking this is some sort of nuisance law that results in a ticket or

a small fine, we've got some sobering news for you. The punishment for illegal gum trafficking

can include a fine of up to $100,000 and up to two years in prison. Oof, if they ask you what

you're in for in that situation, just make something up. However, apparently not everyone

was on board with the extremity of the gum ban because in 2004, Singapore eased some of its

restrictions. They decided to allow stores to sell gum products that could be used medicinally

or therapeutically, such as nicotine gum or certain sugar-free gums. And while a pack of Nicorette isn't as fun as Big League Chew, we suppose it's better than nothing

Just about the only thing more French than making royalty a few inches shorter is making a

deliciously crusty baguette. In fact, they're among France's most beloved symbols, next to the

Eiffel Tower and Euro Disney. And as such, the country has put great effort into regulating its

baguette making. In 1993, France launched its Decree Pond, or Bread Decree, which outlined what bakers can and cannot do when making baguettes

And the rules are pretty strict as far as bread laws go First of all traditional baguettes can only include four ingredients wheat flour yeast salt and water They can contain any additives or preservatives which means they

only last about 24 hours. That creates something of a ticking clock scenario for bakers because

the baguettes have to be made at the same place they're going to be sold. This may feel like legal

overkill to some when it comes to bread making, but France's stringent baguette regulations have

paid off. In 2022, UNESCO added French baguettes to its cultural heritage list

Psh, lucky! America has been trying to get Funyuns added for decades

Like pretty much the rest of North and South America, Mexico is in the midst of an obesity

epidemic. In fact, an estimated 32.4% of the Mexican population qualifies as obese based on

body mass index. According to many experts, diet is at the root of the problem. Diet and trade laws

You see, obesity rates rose in the wake of a 1994 trade deal between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.

which flooded the country with food that was both inexpensive and less nutritious

NAFTA will tear down trade barriers between our three nations. Three cheers for progress. But since 2020, Mexico's efforts to promote healthy eating

have included warning labels to help consumers identify unhealthy food products. Of course, when Mexico decided to add the label to Nestle products, which tend to contain high sugar levels

Nestle lobbyists attempted to pressure the Mexican government to forego the warning labels

But Mexico officials held firm, and now the Quick Rabbit has to share packaging space with a sobering health warning, like a pack of cigarettes

Many countries implement strict biosecurity measures at their borders to protect their ecosystems and agricultural industries

I can't let it through as a quarantine concern. This enables them to keep out any insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses, pet rocks, etc

that could be harmful to crops and livestock. Australia has particularly stringent measures in place

thanks to the country's infamous history with invasive species. Someone introduced rabbits to the land down under back in the 1800s

and they've been wrecking havoc ever since. You'd think the dingoes would get them

Australia's strict rules even include what food you can bring in. Overseas travelers are warned that Australia has very strict biosecurity procedures

at its borders to prevent the introduction of harmful pests and diseases. Certain food items

brought into Australia, even small amounts or ingredients for cooking, need to be declared

The rule is so serious that passengers can't even bring airplane food with them past customs

Not that you'd want to. Any country would probably consider that an act of war

Breaking the rules isn't taken lightly. A seemingly inconsequential mistake can earn

you a stiff fine. In 2022, two travelers incurred heavy penalties for failing to declare food

products. An Australian woman was fined $1,800 for forgetting to declare her Subway sandwich

as was a backpacker with McDonald's in his bag. Oof, that's an expensive McMuffin