Step into a grocery aisle from decades past and you’ll spot things that would feel illegal — because many of them would be. You’ll learn how changes in science, law, and common sense transformed what supermarkets sold and what shoppers accept as safe today.
This article guides you through seven examples — from packaging and preservatives to pesticides and in-store habits — that show how different shopping once was and why those items wouldn’t pass modern rules. Keep scrolling to see the surprising everyday products that vanished as safety standards tightened.
Lead-laced canned foods
You might be surprised that many cans in the 1960s used lead solder on seams, which could leach into acidic items like tomatoes and fruit. Regulators later banned lead in food cans after studies showed the risk, and the industry phased out lead-soldered cans by the 1990s.
If you handle vintage canned goods, avoid using or eating them. For background on the regulation and timeline, see the USDA explanation of lead in cans (https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Do-cans-contain-lead).
Sulfite-treated fresh fruits
You might remember fruit displays that stayed unnaturally bright and crisp. Those were often treated with sulfites, a preservative that the FDA banned on fresh produce served raw in 1986 because it caused severe reactions in some people, especially asthmatics (see the ban details).
If you buy dried fruit or wine today, sulfites can still appear and must be listed on labels. But your supermarket cant legally spray fresh apples or salad greens with sulfites and sell them as fresh.
Cyclamates (artificial sweeteners)
You probably remember diet sodas and tabletop sweeteners from the 1960s that tasted clean and calorie-free. Cyclamates were common then, used to sweeten everything from drinks to canned goods.
Concerns about cancer risks in animal studies led regulators to ban cyclamates in the U.S. by 1970. If you spot a modern label, you’ll see FDA-approved alternatives instead, not cyclamate.
DDT pesticide residues
You might have picked up produce in the 1960s without knowing it was sprayed with DDT, a pesticide later shown to persist in food and the environment. Regulators began restricting DDT in the 1960s and many countries banned it in the 1970s after growing evidence of harm and environmental buildup; see the EPA’s brief history for details (https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status).
Today, most agricultural DDT use is banned, but residues and breakdown products still show up in some food testing decades later. You’d rarely see this in supermarkets now because modern laws limit pesticide residues and require monitoring.
Chlorofluorocarbon aerosol sprays
You probably grew up around aerosol cans that used CFCs as propellants for hairspray, bug spray, and cooking oil. Scientists found CFCs damaged the ozone layer, so governments banned them and manufacturers switched to safer alternatives.
If you opened a 1960s spray can today, you’d find chemicals that lasted in the atmosphere for decades. That long lifetime is why regulations like the U.S. ban and later international agreements removed CFCs from consumer aerosols; learn more about the U.S. bans on nonessential CFC products.
Red dye No. 2 in snacks
You probably ate brightly colored cakes and candies that used Red Dye No. 2 as a kid. It was common in the 1960s but later flagged over safety concerns and removed from food use.
If you find retro photos or recipes, note that manufacturers replaced it with other dyes after the ban. Check ingredient lists on vintage-style products to know what’s actually inside.
Smoking allowed inside stores
You remember wandering aisles while someone smoked nearby, because smoking inside shops was normal back then. Laws and health research changed that; most stores ban indoor smoking now to protect employees and customers.
Retailers also moved tobacco behind counters or stopped selling it altogether after public pressure and policy shifts. For background on the broader cultural shift away from in-store smoking, see how grocery practices changed over time (https://takesmeback.com/what-grocery-store-practices-from-the-60s-and-70s-have-completely-vanished/).
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