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(March 9) -- In a bit of post-Oscars news, The New York Times reported Monday that the filmmakers behind the Academy Award-winning eco-activist documentary "The Cove" teamed up with law enforcement officials in a sting at a Los Angeles sushi restaurant that was serving whale, which is illegal.
"The possession or sale of marine mammals is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and can lead to a year in prison and a fine of $20,000," the Times said.
But there are a lot of other things that are illegal to eat in the U.S., which doesn't always stop restaurants from serving them or diners from seeking them out.
ALSO SEE: In 'Sushi Sting,' Oscar Winners Nab Restaurant Selling Whale
Ortolans: A few years ago, Travel and Leisure reported on a "forbidden feast," orchestrated by a top New York chef, featuring ortolans, small and endangered songbirds native to France, where hunting them brings a $10,000 fine. Smuggling them into the U.S. is a crime.
Caviar: Beluga caviar, to be precise. Because of overfishing in the Caspian and Black seas, the U.N. has declared a trade freeze on the luxury item, and the ban has been seconded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Poachers are also overfishing domestic sturgeon for their roe.)
Foie Gras: Another luxury, foie gras has been banned in a couple of U.S. localities -- not because ducks and geese are endangered but because many people believe the process of force-feeding the animals to stuff their livers (from which foie gras is derived) is inhumane. Chicago briefly banned foie gras but then repealed the ban. However, California has passed a law making the sale and production of foie gras illegal beginning in 2012.
Unpasteurized Milk and Cheese: Unlike many countries, the U.S. has long had laws against the sale of raw milk and cheese products. Currently, just over half of U.S. states allow sales of raw milk. And there are similar laws against unpasteurized cheeses, unless they have been aged past 60 days, a sufficient length of time for natural acidity to kill off bacteria. (Foodies often smuggle in cheese from France when they get they chance.)
Dogs and Cats: Many U.S. localities have laws against eating dogs and cats, animals that some other cultures consume. Interestingly, it's legal to eat horses -- horse meat can be a delicacy in France, Canada and Japan -- but few Americans do. Until a few years ago, a couple of slaughterhouses in Texas exported horse meat to other countries.
Humans: The ultimate taboo, here and in nearly every part of the world. In most U.S. jurisdictions, cannibalism is prohibited implicitly as part of laws against corpse mutilation. The most sensational cases of cannibalism also involved murder, and in U.S. history there's probably no more infamous cannibal than serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
From Whale to Ortolan: Top Banned Foods in US
Mar 9, 2010 – 12:54 PM
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