Thanksgiving staple banned in multiple countries over serious health fears

It's Thanksgiving today (28 November), and it's clear that anyone across the pond is gearing up to chow down on a proper feast complete with all the holiday favourites.

Now, Thanksgiving meals vary from family to family, but table favourites include mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, pecan pie, and, of course, a roasted turkey with all the trimmings.

However, there's actually a pretty major staple when it comes to the US holiday that's actually banned in multiple countries over some pretty serious health fears.

There's one Thanksgiving staple which is banned in several countries (Jonathan Knowles / Getty Images)

Many Americans look forward each year to pouring copious amounts of hearty gravy over their turkey, potatoes, and stuffing.

However, one particular brand of the latter contains two ingredients that are banned in a number of countries across the globe.

Stove Top Stuffing, an instant boxed mix, reportedly contains ingredients that are known human carcinogens, a doctor told The Post.

The turkey version of the stuffing mix is made up of bread, high fructose corn syrup, salt, onion, turkey, celery, and parsley, as well as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene).

These two additions to the mix are man-made chemicals used as flavour enhancers and food preservatives to extend shelf life.

And while BHA and BHT are completely legal in the States, they're actually banned in the UK, the EU, and Japan.

"A lot of countries have much stricter rules around what’s allowed in food," explained Dr. Neha Pathak, MD, who serves on WebMD‘s Medical Team.

She added that the US' approach to food ingredients was 'innocent until proven guilty'.

One brand of stuffing contains two carcinogenic ingredients (Evan Kissner / Evan's Studio / Getty Images)

Noting an increased cancer risk being at the top of the list of concerns, she said: "These types of preservatives are banned in the European Union, and mostly it’s because of the cancer risk.

"The cancer risk is something that is concerning and certainly reasonably anticipated based on the studies we have.

"There are lots of animal studies that show that high doses can cause tumor development in rats and hamsters. It is classified as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."

A spokesperson for the Stove Top brand said: "For over 50 years, Stove Top Stuffing has been a trusted favorite on family meal tables. Every box is crafted with care, following the same high-quality standards that we use across every one of our brands, while also exceeding the strict safety guidelines set by government agencies.

"We will proudly serve Stove Top to our families this Thanksgiving."

Tyla has reached out to Stove Top for further comment.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.

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