Now that school is out and summer vacation is in full swing, it’s time to start planning that much-deserved trip. If your itinerary includes air travel, then it’s important to educate yourself on what food items you can take with you on the plane—a particularly vital issue for those who are traveling with little ones!
So, before you get that carry-on bag filled to the brim with your favorite snacks, be sure to consult this handy guide first! Here are 9 foods that you cannot (or should not!) try to sneak through security…
-
Salad Dressing
Mike Mozart via Flickr
Sure, it may not be the first thing that travelers think of bringing with them on the plane, but you never know when you might need to add some zest to your greens! Technically the TSA may allow less than 3.4 ounces of dressing, but it’s hard to find a store-bought package that small. If you need dressing, we suggest purchasing some once you get past security.
-
Yogurt
Daily Burn I Perry Santanachote
Yet another item that is in the TSA’s “gray area”. The agency says that passengers can take up to 3.4 ounces, but the container MUST be completely transparent, and it needs to be able to fit in the Ziploc bag with your other gels and liquids. Nonetheless, if you can find that “holy grail” yogurt that fits within these guidelines, then feel free!
-
Soft cheeses and spreads
Richard Noth via Flickr
This is a bit of an interesting one; you see, soft cheeses are sometimes considered to be “gels”, meaning that passengers need to adhere to the 3.4-ounce rule. Easy enough, right? Not so fast…
Similar to yogurt, security officials ask that the cheese be presented in an unopened, transparent package, and even if your cheese does manage to fit within that strict criteria, the TSA has the authority to take it at any time. So, if you want to bring some pricey fromage back from your Parisian vacation, opt for the hard variety!
-
Jams and jellies
Stephen Fulljames via Flickr
Does your Great Aunt Carol always send you home with several jars of her famous raspberry jam? If so, you best pack that in your checked luggage, because airport security is infamous for confiscating this stuff.
Not only does it need to fit the aforementioned 3.4-ounce/Ziploc bag standard, the dark color and texture usually raises red flags, which could mean a longer experience in that dreaded security line. No thanks!
-
Salsa
Shawn Allen via Flickr
Though salsa is technically permitted when brought in at the 3.4-ounce cut off, like jam, this is a notorious item that regularly gets seized. Interestingly enough, it all has to do with texture; if the salsa is of the chunky variety, you should be fine, but if it is runnier, then the security agent could deem it to be a “liquid”. Talk about confusing!
-
Adult beverages with alcohol content 70% or higher
Adam Selwood via Flickr
Good news! You are actually allowed to bring on “nippers” so long as they are under 3.4-ounces a piece. HOWEVER, each bottle of alcohol cannot exceed an alcohol content that is higher than 70%, which means you will need to leave that 151 at home. Still not a bad deal, if you ask us!
-
Gravy and most sauces
Rene Schwietzke via Flickr
We’re sure you’ve never sat and pondered the properties of gravy, but the TSA sure has because, according to them, this sauce is a “liquid” or “gel”. This means that you must adhere to the 3.4-ounce/ plastic container rule. We wish you luck in finding that clear-packaged gravy “unicorn” at your local grocery store!
-
Canned soup
Bowy Gavid Bowie Chan via Flickr
Bringing a stockpile of Campbell’s with you on your next excursion? If so, you are much better off packing those cans in your checked bag. Canned soup is considered to be high on the top of TSA’s confiscated food list because: a) the packages are not see-through and b) they almost always exceed 3.4 ounces.
-
Produce
Eli Duke via Flickr
If a long-haul international flight is in your future, then you shouldn’t try to bring any fruits or veggies back with you into the States. As it turns out, you have to report each and every piece of produce as an “agricultural product”. Failure to do this could cost you up to $10,000 in fines!
So, unless you want to go through that extra wait at Customs, it’s best that you keep the produce far away from your carry-on and checked luggage.
Talk about restrictive! What do you think of this list? Have any of these items been taken from you at the security gate before? Do you have any “gray area” foods that you would like to add?
