Banned Foods & Beverages By State: The Good, The Bad and The Weird

• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South dakota
• West Virginia

Alabama

In Alabama, college kids will never be able to play “Edward Fortyhands,” the drinking game that requires you to tape a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor to each hand and consume both of them before the tape can be removed. This is because the law prohibits the sale of beer bottles containing more than 25.4 ounces. The “Gourmet Bottle Bill” was passed in 2012, but before then, you could only buy up to 16-ounce bottles. We don’t think this is such a bad thing, unless you like to share your beers!

Alaska

Alaska is known for its popular game meats, but you won’t find too many options to try them when dining out. While elk, reindeer, buffalo and wild boar are all sold in restaurants, others are a no-go (not to be sold in a food establishment under any circumstance), including fox, polar bear, bear and walrus. People who want to try these and other rarer types of game will have to befriend some local Alaskans who hunt and cook the meats themselves.

Arizona

Arizona doesn’t have many restrictions, but it does (along with many other states) have a ban on the sale of unlimited alcohol for a fixed price during any set period of time. That means no bottomless brunches for its residents and visitors. That being said, these laws aren’t always dutifully enforced…

Arkansas

In Arkansas and in some other states, you can’t buy alcohol from the store on Sundays, except in a handful of areas. For the most part, restaurants are unaffected and can serve alcoholic beverages, as well as some microbreweries. Beyond that, did you know half of all Arkansas’s counties are dry (where the sale of alcohol is prohibited)? Their livers must be in good shape!

California

California is a real stickler when it comes to allowing certain food items into the state. This is mostly due to the need to protect its $30 billion agricultural industry, which may be threatened by pests brought from other states. Among the banned products from certain states are apples, apricots, avocado, green beans, blueberries, huckleberries, cherries, chestnuts, chili peppers and corn. Foods that are banned from all other states include butternut squash, citrus fruits, pecans and walnuts. Check the full list here. 

Foie gras was banned in 2012 due to force-feeding production methods, but sales were allowed to resume in 2015. A new ruling just came out to reverse that decision, but it hasn’t gone into effect yet.

Colorado

Ever since the prohibition-era alcohol laws became outdated, there’s been a lot of debate in Colorado about how to amend them properly. Until recently, grocery stores in this state were prohibited from selling full-strength beer (or any beer with more than 3.2% alcohol content), and liquor stores were likewise not allowed to sell any food items. New legislation has passed and will become effective in 2019, finally letting grocery stores sell full-strength beer and the 3.2%-alcohol beer will likely become defunct. They still can’t sell wine and liquor, however. As for liquor stores, they will be able to sell food but only as long as alcohol and tobacco products make up 80% of their sales.

Connecticut

Over the past year, the state of Connecticut along with 36 others, saw the possibility of ordering out-of-state wines disappear. That includes any and all internet purchases, catalog orders, and direct shipments from retailers. Interstate wine shipment had been loosely regulated since a 2005 Supreme Court ruling that lifted numerous state restrictions on purchases from out-of-state wineries. Unfortunately, wine and spirits wholesalers were able to sway politicians, leading carriers such as FedEx and United Parcel Service to stop accepting shipments for out-of-state alcoholic beverages (except for the 14 states that still allow it).

Delaware

Raw (unpasteurized) milk is becoming more and more popular, due to local food movements and health fanatics, who claim its benefits outweigh the risk of falling ill from bacteria. In Europe, it’s widely available, even sold in vending machines in certain countries, as well as in supermarkets and health stores. Not so in Delaware and 19 other states that prohibit the sale of raw milk for human consumption. Those with weaker immune systems, including children, the elderly and pregnant women are especially at risk, but that doesn’t mean any average healthy Joe won’t get sick if he drinks milk infected with salmonella.

Florida

Residents of Miami Shores, Florida are banned from having front-yard vegetable gardens, due to the city’s landscape and design regulations that seek to avoid a decrease in property values and maintain overall appearance. One couple, who had been cultivating their own produce in their front yard for 17 years, were forced to pay 50$ daily fines for non-compliance once the ban went into effect. The Florida Supreme Court refused to hear their case earlier this year, letting the lower courts uphold their rulings in favor of the city.

Georgia

It might be hard to believe, but Georgia is one of the rare states in the US that legally bans the production, sale and consumption of dog meat. For now, only five other states have the same restrictions, while elsewhere in the US, dogs can be raised and sold for meat. Fortunately, the House has just passed a bill called the Dog and Cat Meal Trade Prohibition Act that outlaws slaughtering dogs and cast for food throughout the country.

Hawaii

Hawaii was the first state to ban the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins in 2010, with 11 other states following suit later on. This is a win for shark advocates and for environmental activists who condemn the harmful practice of shark finning, which often involves removing the fins and releasing the sharks back into the water, basically to die. Fortunately, shark meat isn’t popular in the US, but shark fin soup can still be found in China, where it is considered a delicacy, and the meat is consumed in many other countries as well.

Idaho

This isn’t so much a ban but rather a restriction on the number of businesses that can sell alcohol in the state of Idaho. Currently, there is a quota in place that allows just one new liquor license for every 1,500 people. According to this article published by Boise State Public Radio, the wait time is apparently five to eight years in Boise to receive a new license that costs $800. But on the “secondary market,” you can get one right away—at a very hefty price: $170,000-$180,000. So if you’re looking to open a bar in Idaho anytime soon, you might wanna look elsewhere.

Illinois

The last operating horse slaughterhouse was located in Dekalb, Illinois and “mysteriously” burned down in 2007. It remained closed when the state passed legislation to outlaw the slaughtering of horses for human consumption. Some pro-slaughter lobbyists are still trying to revive the business, and the current administration is considering lifting restrictions that prevent the sale of American horses to dealers who export to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Hopefully, that won’t happen, and the lack of federal funding for public inspections will remain in effect.

Indiana

In Beech Grove, Indiana, the consumption of watermelon is banned at public parks. This is apparently due to their sharp rinds, which have a tendency to puncture garbage bags. Despite this ordinance, you probably won’t get in trouble for bringing chopped watermelon in tupperware for a picnic. Even if you do forget and bring some whole watermelon slices, we’re not sure how gung-ho the local law enforcement is on upholding the ban. We’re guessing they have bigger things to worry about.

Iowa

Kids in Indianola, Iowa are missing out on one of life’s greatest childhood joys: the ice cream truck! Yep, it’s true, the ice cream man, his frozen treats and that unmistakable, later-revealed-to-be racist melody are banned in this city, so you’ll have to go buy your ice cream at the ice cream shop or from a stationary food truck instead. We could do without the horrible song, but the memory of being “delivered” ice cream desserts on a random basis (before the age of food delivery apps) will remain one we look back upon fondly.

Kansas

Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing Company recently released a hemp beer that’s available on draft in almost every state except Kansas. It was immediately shot down for distribution, due to the trace of hemp in it, despite the ingredient’s non psycho-active properties. If you want to taste the 7% hoppy beer, you’ll have to visit the company website to find a place that sells it near you.

Kentucky

You may not have even heard of this, but in 2015, the U.S. Alcohol Tobacco and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the sale of powdered alcohol. In the year that followed, Kentucky passed a law that banned powdered alcohol completely, and many other states passed similar legislation as well. A number of health concerns were behind this decision, which Kentucky Prevention lists on its website, including: marketing and appeal to youth, packets are similar in shape and size to children’s non-alcoholic drink packets (think Kool-Aid and Crystal Light), accidental overdose/ingestion by small children, etc. Those all sound like pretty reasonable concerns, not to mention we can’t imagine it tastes any good!

Louisiana

Here’s a head-scratcher for you: the state of Louisiana had to pass a law banning the ritualistic consumption of blood, be it sourced from animals or humans. The ban was part of the state’s “Ritualistic Acts” legislation passed in 1989. That’s just…creepy. Then again, HBO’s hit series True Blood took place in a fictional town called Bon Temps, Louisiana…

Maine

Sorry, party animals, drinking games that promote the consumption of alcohol are prohibited in Maine bars. That means no flip cup or beer pong tournaments in public. You also can’t win alcohol as a prize or reward for any kind of bar-sponsored activity.

On another note, schools in Maine are considering banning ‘food shaming’, in other words “punishing” kids publicly for their school lunch debts (ie. refusing to feed them or giving them an alternate meal). One school principal even called out students in front of their classmates, warning them they wouldn’t graduate if they didn’t pay their lunch debts. It’s things like this that make you wonder what is the world coming to?

Maryland

In Maryland, seafood restaurants are encouraged to recycle oyster shells, but one way to do this is banned: feeding them to your chickens. It turns out people actually do this because it contains much-needed calcium for laying hens. But there are companies who sell and distribute the oyster shell supplement in safe, regulated ways.

Also, in Maryland, it’s illegal to eat in the ocean. Bad news for Instagram influencers!

Massachusetts

In 2011, the Massachusetts Public Health Council put a ban on sugary sodas in schools, in addition to sweet snacks and chips with artificial sweeteners and trans fats. This included any food sold in à la carte lines, vending machines, stores, events and even fundraisers. A cap was also put on the amount of fat, sodium and sugar contained in school foods, and fried foods were out as well. Whether or not this ban truly has an impact on the obesity problem or on the overall health of school kids remains a topic of debate.

Also, in Boston, it’s illegal to eat peanuts in church.

Michigan

This law isn’t at all about the consumption of dogs but rather the act of eating with them in public. In Michigan, state law prohibits customers from bringing their dogs to bars or restaurants, unless they’re service animals. New legislation was introduced to the state Senate last year, which would allow restaurants to accommodate dog owners and their pets in outdoor dining areas (with strict regulations). It hasn’t been passed yet, but Michigan dog owners are hopeful!

Minnesota

Minnesota has some of the strictest alcohol laws in the country, with liquor stores still being the only places you can buy beer (with more than 3.2% alcohol content), wine and liquor. Up until 2016, liquor sales were completely prohibited on Sundays, and some cities aren’t even allowed to have any privately owned liquor stores. Instead, the liquor stores are operated by the city, with the profits going toward public projects. Still, for anyone who’s grown up and lives in a state where being able to buy alcohol at the same time as you buy your groceries, it’s gotta be kind of mind-boggling that you can’t do that in Minnesota.

Mississippi

In 2013, Mississippi’s governor signed legislation that effectively bans food bans, or in other words, forbids cities and counties from forcing restaurants to provide nutrition information about their foods and preventing restaurants from selling super-sized soft drinks. The bill also interdicts municipalities from banning toys in fast-food meals. Despite Mississippi having the second highest adult obesity rate in the country and the third highest obesity rate for youth aged 10 to 17, it’s hard to tell if the lack of nutritional regulations is to blame.

Missouri

This year, Missouri became the first state to ban the word “meat” on any vegan products or other plant-based substitutes. The law prevents food manufacturers from trying to represent their products as meat “if it is not derived from harvest production livestock or poultry.” Violators face a fine of up to $1000 and even a year in prison. That means you won’t see any more of the phrase “plant-based meats” on food products, which the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association claims can cause consumer confusion. Tofurky, a company that makes imitation meat products from plants, is not going down without a fight. 

Montana

In 2017, Samuel Adams released a $200 beer called Utopias with a 28% alcohol content. To make it, the company ages the brew in barrels that were previously used for bourbon. The recipe includes three types of German hops, multiple malts, and a yeast that is more commonly used in the creation of champagne. The finished beer comes packaged in bottles that resemble the company’s giant brewing kettle. It’s currently banned in Montana and 14 other states, due to its high alcohol content.

Nebraska

One of Nebraska’s alcohol-related laws has been part of its state legislature since the Prohibition Era. It states that bars cannot sell drinks that mix liquor and beer, meaning they’re banned from serving boilermakers (a beer with a shot of whiskey), Irish Car bombs and pretty much any other cocktail that falls into this category. That being said, there is no limit on the number of spirits you can order in one drink, which means Long Island iced teas are fair game.

Nevada

Nevada is one of the rare states where not only is public intoxication legal but also it bans all government bodies, whether state or local, from passing laws or ordinances that would make it a criminal offense. It’s probably no coincidence then that Las Vegas happens to be one of the biggest party cities in the world.

New Hampshire

When in New Hampshire, don’t expect to have a lot of choices for cocktail bars. Since the Prohibition ended, there’s a law that prohibits bars from selling liquor without serving some kind of food. So essentially, Nebraska is full of restaurants, not bars, even though some people go just to drink. There’s a bit more leeway for places that sell just beer and wine, but when it comes to mixed drinks, the requirement sticks.

New Jersey

In 2017, New Jersey became the last remaining (re: only) state to ban the sale of home-baked goods. State Senator Joseph Vitale cited “public health concerns” as the reason for upholding this law, but those who oppose it disagree, pointing out that selling baked goods for charity is legal, as is giving away baked goods for free. The debate rages on…

New Mexico

It’s hard to believe this even happens, but apparently when kids don’t have enough money to pay for their school lunches, they get “shamed”, sometimes being forced to clean the cafeteria tables in front of other students, wear special wristbands or even have their hot lunch thrown out in exchange for plain sandwiches. Such acts do nothing but embarrass the children, and in reality they’re being directly punished for their parents’ insufficient resources. Last year, New Mexico put its foot down on this, by banning lunch shaming shaming tactics with a “Hunger-Free Students Bill Of Rights.”

New York

The activated charcoal trend has unfortunately come to an end in NYC. According to this article by Eater, the New York Department of Health announced this summer that the ingredient is banned from all food and drinks and has been for years actually. That means no more funky-looking black ice cream scoops, activated charcoal lattes or anything else foodie restaurateurs could use it in. That should take a toll on hipster hot spots throughout the city.

North Carolina

Last year, Caruso’s, an upscale Italian restaurant in North Carolina, took a bit of a risk by banning children under the age of five from accompanying their parents to dinner. Owner Pasquale Caruso justified his decision to the local paper saying, “People don’t want to come in and spend money on a nice meal and an evening out, when there’s constantly food on the floor, loud electronic devices keeping kids entertained, and small children screaming…it was just the right decision for my business.” While some social media users criticized the policy, others lauded it, with many saying they wish other classy restaurants would follow suit.

North Dakota

When Christmas-time rolls around in North Dakota, make sure you buy your holiday booze before 6 pm on Christmas eve. Liquor sales are banned after this time and all through Christmas day. What’s weirder, however, is that on Sundays you can order a beer at 11 am, but you have to wait until noon to go shopping. It’s a product of the old “blue laws” that used to require businesses to stay closed on Sundays. The law was later changed, allowing shops to open—but not before noon.

Ohio

Good luck trying to find flavored vodka in the state of Ohio. In early 2018, the Division of Liquor Control decided to stop the sale of more than 700 liquors brands, including the popular flavored varieties of Skyy, Smirnoff and Absolut. This happened because Ohio is a “control state,” which enables the state’s Division of Liquor Control to decide which brands and types of alcohols may be purchased and sold. RIP, Smirnoff Root Beer Float…

Oklahoma

Oklahoma has a few quirky laws regarding food and alcohol, one of which is set to change very soon. Up until this year, the state wouldn’t allow the sale of chilled beers with greater than 4% alcohol content, even at liquor stores. As of October 1, 2018, liquor stores, grocery stores and gas stations will all be able to sell refrigerated beer. Grocery stores and gas stations, however, are still prohibited from selling liquor.

Food-wise, it’s been said that it’s against the law to take a bite of someone else’s hamburger at restaurants. Apparently the law was passed because restaurant owners were upset when their customers shared burgers, so they convinced legislators to make it illegal. Even if that’s true, we highly doubt it’s still being enforced.

Oregon

Oregon doesn’t have many unusual restrictions when it comes to food or drinks, so here’s a food that’s banned there and all 49 other states: haggis. For those who don’t know, haggis is a traditional Scottish dish, served as a savory pudding that contains sheep’s pluck (liver, heart, lungs) and is minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt and combined with stock. It was originally cooked encased in the animal’s stomach, but now artificial casing is (unsurprisingly) preferred. The reason this “delicacy” is banned from the States is because it’s illegal to import foods containing sheep lung. Guess you can’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, “thou shall not weep and eat”. It’s one of two states that bans food from being served in funeral homes (New Jersey is the other). The law was overturned in 2012 by a federal judge who deemed it unconstitutional, but just two years later, a federal appeals court ruling reinstated the ban. It was originally written into law in 1952 due to safety concerns, but critics argue that isn’t a valid argument if precautionary measures are taken. Plus, no one can deny that food helps bring people together during times of grief (and possibly encourage them to stick around funeral homes longer).

Rhode Island

In June 2018, Rhode Island signed into law a bill that bans the advertising and marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages on school property. Foods and beverages advertised in schools are now subjected to minimum nutrition standards as defined by the USDA within the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010, the Rhode Island Board of Education, and local district wellness committees. Maine and California are the only other two states that have passed similar legislation.

South Carolina

One of the odder food laws in existence happens to be enforced in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and it concerns the Magnolia Street Cemetery. Apparently someone was eating a little too much watermelon because the city had to pass a law banning people from eating the fruit in the cemetery.

On a more serious note, South Carolina legislators proposed a bill in April 2018 to ban the sale of energy drinks to teens (under the age of 18). The idea came about after a teenager died from drinking too much caffeine, part of which came from an energy drink. No news on when or if the bill will be passed yet.

South dakota

South Dakota doesn’t really have any remarkable food or beverage bans, but like the other 49 US states, it can’t sell the popular German chocolate eggs known as Kinder Surprise. The gimmicky treats that contain toys inside were already banned in the US by the time they were invented, thanks to the Food, Drug, And Cosmetic Act of 1938, which prohibits the sale of candies with “non-nutritive” items inside of them. Although the toys are contained in a hard-to-open capsule, just the fact that they’re there qualifies them as a choking hazard.

Tennessee

Tennessee has very segmented alcohol laws, as the regulations are left up to its individual counties. Local government municipalities and counties are technically “dry” by default, which means the sale of liquor or wine is prohibited. Each of them must then make amendments to the law concerning liquor-by-the-drink sales and retail sales. Currently, there are 13 out of Tennessee’s 95 counties that are “dry,” where the sale of alcohol and alcoholic beverages is banned. That doesn’t always stop the people from drinking though.

Texas

In many states, death row inmates are allowed to request “special meals” as part of a customary ritual before being executed. Each state has its own restrictions, and the meal is usually expected to fall within a reasonable spectrum. Not so in Texas, which banned the practice of “last meals” in 2011 after convicted murderer Lawrence Russell Brewer made the following elaborate request: two chicken-fried steaks with gravy and sliced onions; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapeños; a bowl of fried okra with ketchup; one pound of barbecue meat with half a loaf of white bread; a triple-patty bacon cheeseburger; three fajitas; a meat-lover’s pizza; a pint of Blue Bell Ice Cream; a slab of peanut-butter fudge with crushed peanuts; and three root beers. The state obliged him with the meal, which cost hundreds of dollars, and Brewer proceed to eat—none of it. His reason? He wasn’t feeling very hungry. The practice was swiftly abolished after this, and now Texas death row inmates will receive whatever the other prisoners are eating before execution.

Utah

Utah might have some of the strictest alcohol laws in the country, which may be explained by the large Mormon population in the state (Mormons don’t drink alcohol). Until 2017, Utah had what’s called a “Zion Curtain,” which forced bartenders to mix and poor drinks out of customers’ sight. Now, the biggest restrictions come in your glass: no beers with greater than 4 percent alcohol are available on tap, though you can get stronger beers by the bottle. You also can’t order doubles of any cocktail. The state has calibrated dispensing systems that distribute no more than 1.5 oz of alcohol per drink. Happy Hour deals are also banned, to prevent excessive drinking. There’s also an “intent to dine” law, which states that customers must order some kind of food if they’re planning to drink. Whew! That one was a doozy.

Vermont

As a way to curb methane production, Vermont passed a Universal Recycling Law in 2012 banning food scraps from landfill disposal. Businesses were required to stop putting food in their trash as of last year, and in 2020, the goal is for food scraps to be banned from all landfills in Vermont by both businesses and residents. The alternatives include throwing scraps in a compost bin, dropping them off at composting facilities or even giving them away to local farmers who can use them.

Virginia

Sad news for anyone 13 years or older who lives in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Trick-or-treating is reserved to the younger ones only. That includes the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and York County. It’s actually illegal for anyone older than 12 to participate in this beloved Halloween ritual. Talk about growing pains!

Washington

In spring 2018, Washington became the first state to ban nonstick chemicals in food packaging, which have been blamed for causing serious health conditions because they don’t break down right away and remain in our bodies for extended periods of time. The law states that beginning in January 2022, all food products sold in Washington (fast food, grocery stores, etc.) have to be packaged in materials that do not contain perfluorinated chemicals. Such substances, also known as PFA’s, can commonly be found in food packaging, including popcorn bags or fast food wrappers. While the chemicals haven’t been directly linked to cancer, they are said to be a potential contributing factor or at least provoke other health conditions linked to the development of cancer.

West Virginia

A few years ago, West Virginia residents were not able to order a mimosa or Blood Mary with Sunday brunch. The ban prevented restaurants and bars from selling alcoholic beverages before 1 pm, which meant lots of lost money for restaurateurs with great brunches. Then in 2016, the ‘Brunch Bill’ was passed in the state legislature, which allowed counties to vote on approving the sale of alcohol from 10 am. Welcome to the brunch game, WV!

Wisconsin

The state of Wisconsin, which you probably know better for its cheese, actually has a complicated and interesting history with butter. After margarine was invented in the late 1800’s, state legislators passed a bill banning the yellow-tinted product, which looked exactly like butter. The substitute was banned all the way until 1967, although today restaurants are still banned from serving margarine if they don’t also offer butter. Also, prisons and schools are required to serve real butter, unless otherwise specified by doctors citing health reasons. Hey—it could be worse!

Wyoming

Lucky for the fish in Wyoming, it is forbidden to take, hurt or obliterate a fish with a firearm. Why anyone would want to do this is beyond us. Other than that, the residents of this state don’t have many food or beverage restrictions to worry about!

Hungry for more? Check out these 50 facts about US Presidents and their food you never knew!