
Minnesota Bans These 5 Weird And Controversial Foods
Think your tastebuds are ready for anything? They might be, but there are some limits here in Minnesota, where five famously funky foods are banned-- and some might just surprise you.
The Land of 10,000 Lakes is renowned for its excellent restaurants and distinctive Minnesota cuisine. Tater Tot Casserole, anyone? Or perhaps you'd like to try some lutefisk? Yeah, both of those foods are really only found here in the North Star State. But there are some unusual foods that you WON'T find here in Minnesota because their sale is banned.
READ MORE: This Tiny Restaurant Is the Best Breakfast Spot in Minnesota
Considering all the food options available, there aren't all that many foods that are actually banned here in the Gopher State. But keep scrolling to check out five foods that *are* forbidden 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.
According to Minnesota Statute § 32D.20, Minnesota allows for raw milk to be "occasionally secured or purchased for personal use," meaning that consumers must purchase raw milk directly from the farm where it is produced. Off-farm sales, including at farmers' markets or retail stores, are prohibited.
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.

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 resulted in endangering 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 of from a sheep's stomach and '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.
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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LOOK: 20 American foods that raise eyebrows outside of the US
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