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> I get the feeling that Universal Healthcare (medicare for all) would probably level the difference? Sometimes my wife convince me to try American candy/foods

by diggan 1y ago

> I get the feeling that Universal Healthcare (medicare for all) would probably level the difference? Sometimes my wife convince me to try American candy/foods that we buy in these "foreign foods stores" locally, because she grew up eating some of them in her country. And every time we check the contents by reading the nutrition-labels or checking with apps like Yuka, it turns out that the stuff Americans put in the mouth and stomach are filled with stuff that is outright illegal to put in foods here in Europe. So if I were to guess, it would be related to what is legal to put in foods/consumables.

astura 1y ago
... Such as?
- diggan 1y ago
  Last time I checked, these were some of the substances I found in American food/drinks/candy that are outlawed in EU: - Titanium dioxide (E171) - Potassium bromate - Azodicarbonamide - Propylparaben I'm sure there is more, and there is probably also stuff that is banned in the US but not in Europe.
Chris2048 1y ago
There's lots of stuff like that, the way chickens and eggs are cleaned etc. It sometimes is annyoying though, especially around foods and medicine when something is not yet approved in Europe e.g. It's really hard to get Allulose (sugar alternative with similar properties benefitting baking); As far as I can tell it's not actually "illegal" in Europe, it's just not approved as a food, so no-one risks importing it..
jedimastert 1y ago
The US ranks 3rd in quality and safety, with scores pretty similar to pretty much every European country https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/project/food-security-index/ https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/project/food-sec...
thrance 1y ago
> what is legal to put in foods/consumables. Which is also indirectly related to universal healthcare: since sick people cost money to the state, the government is incentivized to regulate foods more closely.

by diggan 1y ago

astura 1y ago

... Such as?

diggan 1y ago
Last time I checked, these were some of the substances I found in American food/drinks/candy that are outlawed in EU: - Titanium dioxide (E171) - Potassium bromate - Azodicarbonamide - Propylparaben I'm sure there is more, and there is probably also stuff that is banned in the US but not in Europe.

Chris2048 1y ago

There's lots of stuff like that, the way chickens and eggs are cleaned etc. It sometimes is annyoying though, especially around foods and medicine when something is not yet approved in Europe e.g. It's really hard to get Allulose (sugar alternative with similar properties benefitting baking); As far as I can tell it's not actually "illegal" in Europe, it's just not approved as a food, so no-one risks importing it..

jedimastert 1y ago

The US ranks 3rd in quality and safety, with scores pretty similar to pretty much every European country https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/project/food-security-index/ https://impact.economist.com/sustainability/project/food-sec...

thrance 1y ago

> what is legal to put in foods/consumables. Which is also indirectly related to universal healthcare: since sick people cost money to the state, the government is incentivized to regulate foods more closely.