39 common foods with hidden dangers, ranked

Hidden harm

39. Kinder Surprise

Don’t worry – there aren’t any dangerous ingredients in Kinder chocolate. This popular sweet-and-toy combo has been banned in the US ever since it launched in 1974 – and it’s all due to what’s inside the chocolate shell. Having a non-edible object inside an edible one is classed as a choking hazard by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following the US Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938.  

39. Kinder Surprise

It’s illegal not only to sell Kinder Surprise in the United States, but also to import the sweet treat. A newer version, Kinder Joy, is now available there, with the chocolate and toy kept apart in separate halves.

38. Jelly sweets

Don’t panic if you’re a fan of wine gums or fruit jellies – not all of these chewy, sticky sweets are dangerous. However, some contain a thickening agent called konjac, which creates a slippery texture and a hard shell, which can be considered a choking hazard.  

38. Jelly sweets

37. Hot dogs

Eating the odd hot dog shouldn’t do you any harm – just take it slowly. Hot dogs are a common choking hazard, particularly for young children. The right size and texture to block the airway, the popular hand-held food is the number one cause of food-related choking in young children in the US, accounting for 17% of cases.  

37. Hot dogs

36. Chilies

Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to chilies. Some people can eat a super-hot Thai salad without flinching – while for others, a mild chicken tikka masala is enough to make their eyes water. Chili peppers can cause other issues aside from a burning sensation, though.  

36. Chilies

35. Cookie dough

Licking the spoon may feel like a well-deserved treat when whipping up a batch of cupcakes or fresh cookies, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US warn against it. Consuming raw dough can make you sick, as flour sometimes contains harmful bacteria and E. coli, and raw eggs can carry salmonella.  

Liking this? Click the Like button above. And click the Follow button above for more great stories from loveFOOD

35. Cookie dough

Consuming raw cookie dough is particularly harmful for children, older adults, and those who are pregnant due to the potential risks of food poisoning. If you’re someone who loves the taste of it, there are some tasty cooked cookie dough products on the market that’ll satisfy that craving – but keep in mind, only cooked dough (or cookie dough ice cream) is safe to consume.

34. Bacon

Don’t panic – no one is planning to ban bacon sandwiches! However, consuming processed meats, including bacon rashers, has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, according to the WHO. Eating 2oz (50g) per day – the equivalent of two rashers of bacon – raises the risk of colon cancer by 18%. If you’re consuming more than that, the risk is said to be even higher.  

34. Bacon

Further studies have shown a link between foods like bacon and sausages and an increased risk of breast cancer. That’s not to say you need to eradicate it from your diet altogether; lower your consumption and enjoy bacon as part of a balanced diet to help reduce the risk.    

33. Unpasteurized milk

Drinking raw or unpasteurized milk has become more popular, as some view it as a superfood. However, the UK Food Standards Agency warns against drinking milk that goes 'straight from the cow to the bottle.' It suggests that we should only drink milk that has been heat-treated to kill potential E. coli, salmonella, campylobacter, and listeria.  

33. Unpasteurized milk

32. Detox tea

Detox teas – and other drinks that claim to bring about weight loss and additional health benefits – should be approached with caution, as some popular natural ingredients carry potential dangers. Many of these drinks contain senna and valerian, which are natural herbs, but can force unnatural weight loss by having a laxative effect.  

32. Detox tea

Senna can irritate the digestive system and cause chemical imbalances, and it can also have serious side effects if consumed over a long period. Medical professionals also warned of dangers after a woman became over-hydrated after taking valerian and collapsed with a seizure. 

31. Raw sprouts

Brimming with nutrients and health benefits, sprouts such as clover and mung bean sprouts may seem pretty harmless, but they're grown in warm, humid conditions that allow bacteria to flourish. Bean sprouts have been linked to E. coli outbreaks across the globe, including in the US and Germany.  

31. Raw sprouts

30. Rare beef

Whether you love a rare steak or are partial to a beef tartare when eating out, consuming these meats comes with risks attached – especially for children, pregnant women, and anyone with a weakened immune system that makes them more susceptible to food poisoning.  

30. Rare beef

Beef can harbor bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella, so chops and steaks need to reach an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) to kill any harmful bacteria, while minced beef should come up to 71°C (160°F). Use a meat thermometer to be sure.   

29. Deli meats

Most deli meats have a high fat content and are classed as processed foods – which are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Some are even cured using nitrites, which are also believed to be carcinogenic. Not only that, but a serious issue can occur when harmful bacteria reach cooked meat before it’s packaged.  

29. Deli meats

There have been several reported cases over the last few years, including one in 2018, when deli ham was recalled after a possible listeria (bacteria) contamination. Only consume cold cuts from shops with good food safety standards, and store them according to packet instructions.   

28. Romaine lettuce

Forming the base of most salads and sandwich fillings, leafy greens don’t seem particularly threatening, but crinkly romaine lettuce has been identified as the culprit in a few E. coli outbreak cases, including one that affected people in several American states in 2018. The original contamination was thought to have been caused by animal waste in the soil.  

28. Romaine lettuce

27. Jellyfish

Did you know you can eat some species of jellyfish? While they might commonly be known for their painful stings, in some countries, jellyfish are a delicious delicacy. Care must be taken in preparing the dish though, because if it isn’t sliced correctly, the jellyfish’s poisonous venom can end up on your plate.  

27. Jellyfish

Similar to other seafood, edible jellyfish is prone to foodborne bacteria. If not cleaned and refrigerated soon after it’s caught, it can become dangerous for human consumption. Eager to try the dish while travelling? Make sure you go to a reputable restaurant specializing in the delicacy. 

26. Eggs

Eggs are one of the most versatile foods around, but they can also pose a health risk. They can contain salmonella – and when several raw eggs are mixed together, the bacteria spreads. Served as soft scrambled eggs or poached eggs with runny yolks, or in a Hollandaise sauce or mayonnaise, they can make you sick.  

26. Eggs

Cook them fully to be completely sure, and only consume salad dressings and raw egg dishes that contain pasteurized eggs. In the UK, there are several food safety schemes in place to help prevent the contamination of eggs with salmonella, including the British Lion Scheme.   

25. Pink pork

There's some debate around whether serving particular cuts of pork – like loin – pink should be considered safe. Raw pork can carry a host of risks and bacteria, including trichinosis (known as pork worm), which can cause stomach pain and vomiting, and hepatitis E, leading to inflammation of the liver.  

25. Pink pork

Ground pork should be cooked to 71°C (160°F) according to US guidelines, while cuts can be cooked to 63°C (145°F) to retain a hint of pink in the middle. The UK National Health Service (NHS) recommends cooking pork all the way through.   

24. Raw cashews

If you’re someone who enjoys a handful of salted cashews on a regular basis, don’t worry. The cashews you find in most shops have been shelled, steamed, and roasted, which is just as well. Raw cashews – which are actually seeds harvested from cashew apples – on the other hand, contain urushiol, a chemical also found in poison ivy.  

24. Raw cashews

23. Chicken

Chicken is one of the most popular meats in the world – but it’s also among those that are the most susceptible to contamination, and it can cause health problems if handled and prepared incorrectly. Raw chicken often carries salmonella and campylobacter, which can cause flu-like symptoms, nausea, and vomiting.  

23. Chicken

Thankfully, there are multiple ways you can minimize your risk of contamination. Experts recommend never washing raw chicken, as this can spread the harmful bacteria across the kitchen. Other ways to reduce the risk are by using a separate knife and cutting board when preparing it, and by cooking it to an internal temperature of 73.9°C (165°F) every time. 

22. Mangoes

The flesh of a mango is perfectly safe to consume – but, just like raw cashews, the skin, bark, and leaves of mangoes contain the chemical urushiol. If you're allergic to poison ivy, eating a mango without peeling it first can cause swelling and rashes, and can even lead to breathing difficulties.  

22. Mangoes

21. Oysters

Raw is the default way to serve oysters – freshly shucked, on the half shell and with a generous squeeze of lemon. But they can carry harmful bacteria and viruses. In some cases, they can cause vibriosis, an illness with symptoms such as diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, and chills.  

21. Oysters

In the US, around 80,000 people get vibriosis annually – not exactly what you want after trying an oyster for the first time. Eat oysters at a reputable seafood restaurant – and if you’re serving them at home, trying cooking them; this will kill the bacteria and help reduce the risk. 

20. Elderberries

These deeply pigmented purple berries are believed to contain health-boosting antioxidants. However, the plant they grow from contains the far less desirable cyanide. It’s unlikely that you'd intentionally ingest the leaves, twigs, roots, and seeds from an elderberry bush, but it’s worth taking the time to separate out the fruit.  

20. Elderberries

19. Raw butter beans

If you’re keen to get your beans into your diet, this giant variety is a great one to experiment with – but a word of caution. Dried butter beans contain the chemical linamarin, a compound known to release cyanide when digested. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, and these can become more severe and lead to further complications.  

19. Raw butter beans

18. Raw bamboo shoots

A staple ingredient in many Asian recipes, bamboo shoots are generally a great source of vitamins and minerals – and they've been shown to improve gut health and lower cholesterol levels, too. However, consuming them raw and fresh can be harmful; they contain high amounts of toxins, including cyanide taxiphyllin.  

18. Raw bamboo shoots

But, prepared properly, they can be a great ingredient to have on hand for quick stir-fries and curries. Boiling them or cooking them thoroughly helps to reduce these levels, making them safe for consumption. Meanwhile, canned bamboo shoots are perfectly safe to eat as they are. 

17. Raw cassava

Nutty, starchy cassava is a staple in South America, prized for its versatility – it can be used to make anything from flour to chips. However, eaten raw or improperly prepared, these root vegetables can pose a risk. Like butter beans, the tubers contain a compound called linamarin, which turns into cyanide. 

17. Raw cassava

16. Raw kidney beans

Raw kidney beans contain a toxin called phytohemagglutinin (also known as kidney bean lectin), which is poisonous to humans. Research shows that eating just a few raw kidney beans can cause severe stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms usually pass fairly quickly, but in rare cases, it can be more serious.

16. Raw kidney beans

It’s easily avoided, though; soak the beans overnight, boil for at least 10 minutes to reduce the toxin levels to harmless, then simmer until cooked. Don’t want to risk it? Purchase them in cans, which are already cooked and can be drained and thrown directly into your meal.  

15. Rice

Rice is one of the world’s staple foods, but studies have revealed that it contains higher levels of arsenic (a cancer-causing toxin that comes from the soil) than many other crops. The effects depend on how much you eat; consuming rice a couple of times a week is unlikely to cause any issues.  

15. Rice

14. Tuna

Packed with important nutrients and health benefits, fish is delicious, but cooking it properly is no sure-fire way to avoid sickness. According to the FDA, tuna and other dark-meat fish release a toxin called scombrotoxin at temperatures above 15.5°C (60°F), which can’t be killed by cooking, canning, or freezing.  

14. Tuna

Symptoms of contamination can be similar to both food poisoning and an allergic reaction; you may experience tingling around the mouth, hives, a drop in blood pressure, dizziness, and itchiness, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, and heart palpitations. If you’re unsure how to prepare it at home, leave it to the chefs at a well-respected seafood restaurant.  

13. Sushi

It’s rare that enjoying sushi, poke or ceviche will cause any health issues, unless you have allergies. However, the growing popularity of raw fish dishes has coincided with increased reports of sickness related to worm infections in the last few years.  

13. Sushi

Eating raw, smoked or improperly frozen fish infected with anisakis (herring worm) can cause severe abdominal pain and vomiting, though the worm can’t survive in the human intestine. Reputable sushi chefs are trained to flash-freeze fish to kill parasites, helping to reduce the risk.   

12. Casu marzu

The name casu marzu translates as ‘rotten cheese.’ If that isn’t enough to put you off, how about the fact that it contains fly larvae? This soft, gooey hunk is created by leaving sheep's cheese out for cheese flies, which lay eggs inside the rind. When the larvae hatch, they feast on the cheese and break down the fats. 

12. Casu marzu

It's considered a delicacy on the Italian island of Sardinia, where it’s been made for thousands of years. It’s also considered dangerous to eat because the larvae can cause intestinal damage. A rather divisive cheese, it’s illegal to buy or sell the product.  

11. Raw honey

While most shop-bought honey has been pasteurized to kill bacteria, raw honey – pretty much straight from the beehive – is known to contain more antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. But the potential benefits need to be weighed alongside the risks, as raw honey can contain bacteria spores called clostridium botulinum, which attack the nervous system.  

11. Raw honey

10. Nutmeg

Grating a little nutmeg over your mac ‘n’ cheese, adding it to gnocchi dough, or using it in your favorite mulled wine recipe is very unlikely to have any side effects (other than making things even more delicious). Nutmeg does, however, contain myristicin, a natural compound found in a few plants, which can lead to certain side effects if consumed in large volumes.  

10. Nutmeg

9. Rhubarb leaves

Some crops have surprisingly delicious greenery – pea shoots, for example, or radish tops (try blitzing them into a pesto). Rhubarb leaves, however, are not safe for human consumption. The leaves contain oxalic acid, which can form oxalate crystals in your kidneys.  

9. Rhubarb leaves

8. Fruit stones

Sure, you probably don't tend to snack on apricot pits or apple pips, but accidentally swallowing or chewing on fruit stones can happen. These stones have been found to contain a compound that turns into hydrogen cyanide in the body – and there have been some cases linked to certain cyanide poisoning and fruit stones – including cherries – in recent years.  

8. Fruit stones

It’s important to note that in most instances, the doses are small, so unless you consume a large amount, the effects are unlikely to be fatal – but it’s worth knowing in case you’re tempted to blitz whole fruits, pips and all, into smoothies.

7. Bitter almonds

Bitter almonds can be used to make almond extract, marzipan, and Christmassy stollen. They're also highly poisonous if eaten raw, as they contain glycoside amygdalin, which can turn into cyanide in the body. Consuming anything between six and 10 bitter almonds can cause light-headedness, nausea, and abdominal cramps in an adult, and smaller numbers can be fatal for children.  

7. Bitter almonds

Thankfully, they are perfectly safe when cooked, as the heating process reduces the cyanide content – though they’re nevertheless illegal in certain countries. Fancy a nutty snack? You’re better off sticking to sweet almonds, the type of nut you typically find in supermarkets.

6. Star fruit

Bittersweet, apple-like star fruits are renowned for their five-point shape – but although eaten with gusto in many countries, they can be highly toxic for those with kidney problems. The fruit contains oxalic acid and caramboxin, which are safe for most of us to consume, but they cannot be processed normally if you have kidney problems.  

6. Star fruit

According to the National Kidney Foundation in the USA, consumption of the fruit by those with kidney disease can affect the brain, as caramboxin is a neurotoxin. Other symptoms include hiccups, confusion, and seizures – and in some rare cases, it can also be fatal.

5. Green potatoes

There’s a reason people say you should keep potatoes in a dark, dry place. When exposed to the light, potatoes can turn green due to chlorophyll – and this could signal a bigger problem than them looking a bit unappetizing on your plate.  

5. Green potatoes

It can cause a build-up of solanine, a toxic alkaloid that can cause several side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, cramping, headaches, and, very rarely, life-threatening consequences. Cut away any small green areas before cooking, and completely avoid potatoes that are fully green. 

4. Raw ackee

A popular ingredient in Caribbean cuisine, this tropical fruit works well as a meat-free replacement for scrambled eggs thanks to its consistency and flavor. It’s perfectly safe to consume ackee when it's fully ripe. However, unripe fruits (along with the rind and seeds) are highly dangerous if consumed.  

4. Raw ackee

They contain high amounts of hypoglycin A, which can lead to serious food poisoning symptoms, including sickness and exhaustion. In extreme cases, consuming hypoglycin A can lead to a coma, or even death. In most of its raw forms, the fruit is banned in the US.   

3. Wild mushrooms

The last few years have seen a significant increase in the popularity of foraging, but it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for – especially when it comes to wild mushrooms. Many wild varieties, including fool’s mushrooms and autumn skullcaps, can be harmful (and even deadly) to humans.  

3. Wild mushrooms

2. Peanuts

Peanut allergies are among the world’s most common, with as many as one in every 200 people having a reaction in some countries. While most of us are fine to enjoy chicken satay and a peanut butter–smothered sandwich, the consequences for those who do have an allergy can be lethal.  

2. Peanuts

Even the tiniest exposure (including through the air) to peanuts can cause the throat to swell, to the extent that it’s impossible to breathe. Those with allergies should always read food packaging carefully, notify restaurant staff and carry the necessary medication. 

1. Fugu

A type of pufferfish, fugu is a Japanese delicacy. You’ll typically find it served it as sashimi, but it could be eaten with caution. The fish is highly poisonous, containing a type of toxin called tetrodotoxin, said to be 1,200 times stronger than cyanide.

1. Fugu