The Popular Cereal General Mills Can't Sell In Japan

When traveling or living abroad, you get used to not having access to a lot of the foods you grew accustomed to at home. Initially, it might just seem like certain products simply aren't available due to lower demand in other parts of the world. Yet in the case of Lucky Charms, at least one reason it is not available in a country like Japan is that it contains a banned substance.

Lucky Charms cereal seems innocent enough with its colorful marshmallows (which are called marbits) and playful shapes. However, the ingredients list paints a different portrait. While this breakfast cereal is perfectly legal in the United States, a specific artificial color makes it unsuitable for the Japanese market. Synthetic dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 are used for the marshmallows, but Yellow 6 is specifically prohibited in Japan. It's still possible to find Lucky Charms on Amazon Japan, but this cereal won't be sold on regular grocery store shelves in the country.

What is the problem with Yellow 6? According to the Environmental Working Group, this coloring agent has the potential to cause adverse neurobehavioral activity in children and negatively impact testicular health in men. There is even evidence that it could cause genetic damage.

Lucky Charms has issues in other countries, too. Just like Japan, parts of Europe impose legal restrictions on the American cereal due to the addition of artificial colors. Specifically, in the European Union, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40 cannot be used by food manufacturers. Imported products that contain these products, however, must come with a warning label.

This issue isn't specific to Lucky Charms. Various popular American cereals are banned in other countries, including Japan. However, some brands have managed to update their formula and are now allowed to be sold in these markets. For example, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes got banned in Europe and Japan because they contain BHT, a food preservative and flavor enhancer. Kellogg has since reformulated the recipes for cereals in overseas locations like Europe and Canada to eliminate both BHT and artificial dyes. It also has a Japanese version of Frosted Flakes. As of this writing, we haven't found any indications that General Mills will take similar steps with Lucky Charms to sell it in Japan.