Foods that are illegal somewhere
0Loading crowd target
Questions and sources
Foods That Are Illegal Somewhere — Daily trivia Friday, July 24, 2026: questions and answers
All 10 questions with answers and explanations. Play this daily
Q 01Which US state bans both producing and selling foie gras?
- ATexas
- BFlorida
- CNew York
- DCalifornia
Show answer
California
California. Its ban took effect in 2012, a federal judge struck it down in 2015, and an appeals court reinstated it in 2017.
Q 02What is the name of the Japanese poisonous fish that is illegal to serve without special certification?
- AHirame
- BFugu
- CHamachi
- DUnagi
Show answer
Fugu
Fugu (pufferfish) contains tetrodotoxin, a deadly poison. In Japan, only chefs with specific licenses after rigorous training can legally prepare and serve fugu, as improper preparation can be fatal.
Q 03Caviar imports from which threatened Caspian sturgeon did US regulators suspend?
- ABeluga
- BOsetra
- CSterlet
- DSevruga
Show answer
Beluga
Beluga. After listing the sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act, the US Fish and Wildlife Service halted imports of Caspian beluga caviar in 2005.
Q 04Which narcotic does a New Jersey plant strip from South American leaves before selling the extract to a soft-drink maker?
- ACocaine
- BCaffeine
- CAmphetamine
- DMescaline
Show answer
Cocaine
Cocaine. Stepan's Maywood plant is the only US firm licensed to import coca leaves; the cocaine goes to a drugmaker, and the cocaine-free extract flavours Coca-Cola.
Q 05Which delicacy did Hawaii become the first US state to outlaw?
- AWhale meat
- BSea turtle eggs
- CShark fins
- DSongbirds
Show answer
Shark fins
Shark fins. Hawaii's law banned possessing, selling or distributing them, and Washington, Oregon, California and Illinois later followed.
Q 06Which Sardinian sheep's-milk cheese is banned from commercial sale in Italy?
- AFiore Sardo
- BCasu marzu
- CCaciocavallo
- DPecorino Sardo
Show answer
Casu marzu
Casu marzu. Cheese-fly larvae are still alive in it when it is eaten, which breaks food-hygiene rules, yet Sardinians keep making it for a black market.
Q 07Which country banned the import and sale of chewing gum after wads jammed its new metro train doors?
- ASingapore
- BJapan
- CNorway
- DUnited Arab Emirates
Show answer
Singapore
Singapore. Chewing gum was never illegal to chew, only to import or sell, and since 2004 therapeutic, dental and nicotine gums can be bought from a doctor or pharmacist.
Q 08In which country are Kinder Surprise eggs illegal under a law on inedible objects sealed in confectionery?
- ACanada
- BAustralia
- CUnited States
- DIreland
Show answer
United States
United States. A ban on sweets with embedded non-food objects keeps the egg out, so Kinder Joy, with its toy in a separate sealed half, is sold there instead.
Q 09Which organ in traditional haggis keeps it barred from the United States?
- ALiver
- BLung
- CKidney
- DHeart
Show answer
Lung
In 1971 the U.S. Department of Agriculture ruled that livestock lungs could not be saved for human food. The rule names no dish, but it makes the authentic recipe — which uses sheep lung alongside liver and heart — impossible to import.
Q 10A US ban on safrole stopped root beer makers using the oil of which tree?
- AWintergreen
- BSarsaparilla
- CBlack birch
- DSassafras
Show answer
Sassafras
Sassafras. Its safrole caused liver damage and cancer in lab animals, so the FDA barred it from food in 1960, and root beer makers switched to artificial flavouring.
How to play
- One question at a time, four options. Tap an answer to lock it in.
- You see the answer and a short explanation right away.
- Harder questions and faster answers earn more points. Share your score at the end.