I Had Always Believed,

that America had one of the strictest set of laws governing food safety in the world, 

but I might be wrong, based on a list found in the book, Rich Food, Poor Food, by Dr. Jayson Calton and Certified Nutritionist Mira Calton, there are a few items on Americans everyday grocery store shelves that they could be literally poisoning themselves with, these are ingredients in consumables that Americans enjoy frequently, but they are foods banned outside the US, here are three of some of the most common foods containing ingredients known to cause cancer — among other diseases

1. Artificial Food Dyes: Found in practically everything we eat; among them — cake mixes, sports drinks, cheese, candy, and pickles.
artificial dyes are made from chemicals derived from petroleum–also used to make gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt and tar, artificial dyes have been linked to brain cancer, nerve-cell deterioration, and hyperactivity, just to name a few, food items containing these dyes are banned in  Norway, Finland, Austria, France, and the U.K.

read more in this Washington Post article.

2. Potassium bromate (or bromated flour), found in wraps, rolls, bread crumbs, bagel chips, flat breads,
derived from the same harmful chemical as brominated vegetable oil, brominated flour is used to decrease baking time and reduce costs, this toxic ingredient has been linked to kidney damage, cancer, and nervous system damage, potassium bromate is banned in the EU, Canada, and China.

for further reading, The Truth About Potasdium Bromate.

3. Synthetic growth hormones rBGH and rBST, found in milk and dairy products,
growth hormones are bad for cows and people, causing infertility, weakened muscle growth, and an array of cancers, growth hormones are currently banned in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and the EU,

for more info see the article in the American Cancer Society.

if you are wondering what foods are readily available in America but banned elsewhere here is a list of 10 foods banned in many other countries, 

Farm-Raised Salmon

Genetically Engineered Papaya

Ractopamine-Tainted Meat (this one is a must read)

Flame Retardant Drinks

Processed Foods Containing Artificial Food Colors and Dyes, see 1. above,

Arsenic-Laced Chicken

Bread with Potassium Bromate

Olestra/Olean

Preservatives BHA and BHT

Milk and Dairy Products Laced with rBGH see 3. above,

many of these 10 items may seem innocuous, but having read about the health risks in the article that you are exposed to by eating them makes for somber reading.