5 Surprising Foods You Can’t Legally Eat In Minnesota

Most Minnesotans don’t realize that a handful of foods are actually banned within the state. From rare delicacies to once-popular favorites, here are five foods you won’t find legally on any menu here in the North Star State.

5 Foods You’ll Never Legally Find on a Minnesota Menu

When it comes to food, Minnesotans are usually up for a challenge. While we love to try new foods that are introduced at the state fair each year, did you know there are five foods that are against the law in Minnesota?

There are 33 new foods making their debut at this year's Minnesota State Fair, being sold by 8 new vendors. But you won't find these five foods, though. That's because while Minnesota's food and restaurant scene is one of the country's most dynamic, five foods are banned from being served in restaurants here in the Bold North.

READ MORE: This Popular Food Mysteriously Vanished From MN State Fair

Historically, the Land of 10,000 Lakes has been known for being the home of several uniquely Minnesota foods. Tater Tot Hot Dish, anyone? Or perhaps you'd like to try some lutefisk? Both of those Minnesota classic foods are often only found here in the North Star State. But have you heard of these unusual foods? You WON'T find them here in Minnesota, at least not legally, anyway.

Why Minnesota Bans These Unusual and Risky Foods

Keep scrolling to check out five foods that are currently banned and not allowed here in Minnesota. And, once you see which ones made the list, it's likely you probably wouldn't want to eat them anyway.

RAW MILK

Reader's Digest says raw, or unpasteurized milk, hasn’t been pasteurized to kill bacteria, and is 150 times more likely to cause foodborne illness than pasteurized dairy products, according to the FDA’s website, and its sale is banned in 21 states, including Minnesota.

However, Minnesota DOES have a provision if you want to consume raw milk. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, "On an occasional basis, consumers may go directly to dairy farms to purchase raw milk directly from the farmer. Farmers are not allowed to bottle raw milk for sale, so consumers must also bring their own containers to the farm if they are buying raw milk. Any sales that take place off the farm are a violation of State law."

HORSE MEAT

While Reader's Digest notes that horse meat is 'a fairly popular dish in other parts of the world,' importing horse meat and utilizing horse slaughterhouses are both illegal in Minnesota and across the U.S.

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SHARK FIN SOUP

This Culture Trip story says that any product made with shark fins, like shark fin soup, is banned in Minnesota and every other U.S. state, due mainly to the 'cruel method of acquiring them (which involves cutting the fins of the animal while alive and throwing it back into the sea) and to preserve shark numbers.'

BELUGA CAVIAR

Reader's Digest says this food is considered a delicacy in other parts of the world and was so popular that it endangered the wild Beluga sturgeon population. It's been banned here in Minnesota and the rest of the U.S. since 2005.

HAGGIS

Mashed says haggis is a food native to Scotland and is made from a sheep's stomach and is 'filled with sheep's liver, heart, and lungs, as well as oatmeal, suet, stock, onions, and spices.' I'll pass! Which is a good thing, since Reader's Digest says the USDA banned any food containing lungs in 1971.

Foods We Eat in America That Other Countries Have Banned

While most of those five banned foods here in Minnesota originated in other countries, there are some foods that we love here in the U.S. that are viewed in a much different light overseas. Keep scrolling to see which ones they are!

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