12 Foods You Are Banned (and Unbanned) From Importing

We're about to be drowning in a tidal wave of salty salumi from Italy thanks to the USDA lifting a longstanding ban. But what else can't we get in the U.S.?

Bon Appetit

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By Sam Dean, Bon Appétit

Yesterday, an Italian wire service reported that the USDA is planning on lifting its longstanding ban on the import of cured Italian meats made outside of big, USDA-inspected factories. Which means that, starting May 28, we're going to drown in a tidal wave of delicious, salty salumi from artisanal Italian producers. But that got us thinking: What else is out there that we just can't get in the U.S.? And what else has the government flip-flopped on recently?

We found 12 primo examples of foods banned for import (though the list could probably go into the thousands) as well as foods that (thankfully) are now allowed in U.S. stores and American bellies.