TSA's Traveling with Food Tips
"But it's a harmless tub of peanut butter!" TSA says no. [Photograph: Robyn Lee]
Just because it's the holiday season doesn't mean TSA will go easy on the liquid rule. Keep in mind that the following items will not survive the checkpoint for carry-on luggage:
- Cranberry sauce
- Cologne
- Creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)
- Gift baskets with food items (like salsa, jams and salad dressings)
- Gravy
- Jams
- Jellies
- Lotions
- Maple syrup
- Oils and vinegars
- Salad dressing
- Salsa
- Sauces
- Snowglobes (not edible but important to note)
- Soups
- Wine, liquor and beer
Note: You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening.
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23 Comments:
I swear, those guys never let us have any fun
bulabooshy at 8:47AM on 11/20/09
But what if I put Gravy into a TSA-approved 3.4 oz. container, and place that in a clear zip-loc bag?
Julian at 9:06AM on 11/20/09
My husband went thru with Twinkies in his pockets, we were debating beforehand if they would be considered a gel filling, haha!
erinlovestoeat at 9:13AM on 11/20/09
Yogurt too - I guess it's a gel? Either way, don't think of packing it for an in-flight breakfast.
maryr123 at 9:27AM on 11/20/09
... and no gift wrapping!
hmw0029 at 9:30AM on 11/20/09
snow globes? really?
skelton at 9:31AM on 11/20/09
when did they start allowing pies and cakes again?
french tart at 9:39AM on 11/20/09
Peanut butter? Do they check sandwich fillings, and if so, must it be in a sealable bag?
lemons at 9:54AM on 11/20/09
I'm surprised (happily) that pies aren't considered a gel-----is this for every airport----apparently the airports can set guidelines above what the TSA requires.
sally599 at 10:18AM on 11/20/09
These rules are so dumb. I am all for safety, but really, a pie is OK but cranberry sauce isn't?
greenteacups at 10:34AM on 11/20/09
who is carrying cranberry sauce or gravy on a plane!?
j at 10:56AM on 11/20/09
I heard that TSA is actually considering lifting the liquid ban, but I guess it doesn't happen yet... it's pretty stupid because years ago my tiny eyebrow scissors got confiscated, but now you can bring regular scissors on board.
hopefully "additional screening" doesn't mean they (taste) test a slice!
@lemons, I've traveled with my peanut butter & honey sandwiches many times when security was even tighter. The only things they double checked were peaches and a tub of waffle mix (no, not for myself!).
hmw0029 at 11:00AM on 11/20/09
Interesting question about sandwich and pie fillings. If the TSA is not inspecting every carried-on sandwich to measure the viscosity of a potentially gelatinous or semi-solid filling, then it is not enforcing its rules consistently, since the same filling carried inside a carry-on bag rather than in a clear plastic zip-top bag outside the carry-on bag would violate the rule. There surely must be some dangerous substances that could be spread between two slices of bread and disguised as sandwiches.
Of course, I have inadvertently carried on lots of small amounts of liquids and gels because I forgot to take them out of my carry-on and put them in a plastic bag, so I doubt that a sandwich or two would even catch the TSA's attention.
Lorenzo at 11:06AM on 11/20/09
no nutella, either.
a friend was visiting and we went to Costco - which has a great price on a double pack of nutella if you like the stuff. she had it in her carryon and had to watch the TSA agent toss all unopened 53 ounces in the trash.
valarie at 11:18AM on 11/20/09
...that is an abomination. if that were me, i would just skip my flight and sit in my hotel room and eat all 53 ounces of that chocolatey goodness in silence.
they can take away my pride, and maybe my dignity, but hecks naw on the nutella.
bulabooshy at 12:23PM on 11/20/09
They dumped my unopened giant container of Fage 0% yogurt and I seriously went into the bathroom and almost cried. If it had been a giant container of nutella, I'm pretty sure that there would have been tears, cuss words, and certainly an arrest.
greenteacups at 12:34PM on 11/20/09
From what I can tell, if the food item is for immediate consumption, they tend to let it through. If it's a sealed container, then it's trashed. Not a whole lot of logic, but I got through security just fine with a large bento that included at least a cup of soupy Thai curry over rice, and they didn't even double-check that. I'm just packing all of my alcohol and other liquids into my suitcase really well - so far I've been across the country a couple of times with beer (to share with friends, then to bring back local tastiness) with no incidents of broken glass. Definitely use glass or plastic over aluminum cans - they puncture and burst too easily.
devlyn at 12:41PM on 11/20/09
they took away my pudding :(
quitecurious at 1:12PM on 11/20/09
When I came back from Hong Kong to NYC, they squished one of my precious Kee Wah pastries! I asked nicely yet seriously to the TSA guard, "Madam, please don't squeeze those pastries. They're meant to be gifts." She replied back saying they're checking for any pork products but obviously, she squished nothing but lotus seed paste and flaky, pink crust that's sealed in individual, clear plastic wrapping.
wanderingeater at 2:32PM on 11/20/09
meh. If it's not on the banned list, it's merely a recommendation. The banned list is here: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm
Obviously, gravy, cranberry sauce, and the like is still subject to the 3.4 oz, clear baggie rule. Now that I've seen this ridiculousness, I'm going to bring some sauce in my carry-on. Just because. They can pry it out of my cold, dead hands.
bialy at 3:03PM on 11/20/09
so, i could carry a home-made pie filled with cherry pie filling, but i couldn't carry a can of the same filling? ridiculous. and don't get me started on the snow globes!
franko at 3:16PM on 11/20/09
I've successfully argued a couple things. Once, they tried to take away my mashed sweet potatoes, which are DEFINITELY not a liquid. Another time they tried to take a way my yogurt. "It's not a solid! Its gelatinous! A colloidal substance!" I argued. And, hey! I prevailed. Take that, big brother.
justin h at 2:01AM on 11/21/09
Think of all the wasted food. I wish they would save the unopened stuff, like canned, jarred food, etc. and donate it to those in need. What is the sense in throwing out brand new food for no reason? Talk about a wasteful society!
xwafflesx at 9:26PM on 11/22/09