Most people assume that if a food is approved by the FDA, then it's safe to eat.  But there ARE some foods that are legal here, and not in other countries.

--Check out this list from the fitness website FitPerez.com of five food ingredients that other countries have banned because of health concerns.

#1.)  Yellow 5.  It's in cake, candy, macaroni and cheese, sports drinks, soda, pet food, and cheese . . . to name a few.

--And it's been banned by a lot of countries in Europe because it's made from something called "coal tar," which is also used to make floor sealant.  Blue 1, Blue 2, and Yellow 6 have ALSO been banned in other countries.

--But studies have shown that brighter colors in processed foods make us THINK they taste better.  So they still haven't been banned here.

#2.)  Olestra.  It's a substitute used in a lot of fat-free potato chips.  England and Canada have both banned it over possible health concerns . . . including rear-end LEAKAGE.

--Some people claim the only reason it's still legal in the U.S. is because Procter & Gamble spent a half BILLION dollars creating it.

#3.)  Brominated Vegetable Oil.  It's also known as "BVO", and it's been banned in over 100 countries.  It's in a lot of sports drinks and fruit-flavored sodas.  It's what keeps the artificial flavoring from floating to the top so you don't have to shake it up before you drink it.

--Some researchers say it causes thyroid issues, autoimmune disease, and cancer.  And the main ingredient is bromine (--pronounced BRO-mean), which is linked to birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss.

#4.)  Azodicarbonamide.  (--pronounced ay-zo-die-car-BONN-uh-mide)  It's a chemical compound used to bleach flour . . . so companies don't have to wait a week for the flour to whiten NATURALLY.

--It's in frozen dinners, some pastas and some types of bread, and it's been linked to ASTHMA.  If a company in Singapore uses it, they face almost a half-million dollar fine and up to 15 years in prison.

#5.)  Arsenic.  The FDA allows farmers to use it in chicken feed to promote growth and fight off parasites.  And it also makes the chicken's skin more PINK, which means the meat looks fresher longer.

--The drug company Pfizer stopped selling it in July.  And earlier this month, Maryland became the first state to ban it.  But it's been banned in Europe since 1999.