Of course, there are souvenir shops in the airports where you can easily buy items fit for your family and friends waiting back home. The advantage when you buy here is that you are sure it will pass through security since items bought after the checkpoints have already passed the screening. Thus, most of these can be brought on the plane without any further screening.
But then, there food stuff and items that you really want to bring home with you to share with your loved one and the best pals. What must you know about bringing home foods and stuff when flying? The airport securities have different rules and nuances, but there are certain things that are generally not allowed, particularly food as well as liquids and gels that are beyond 3.4 ounces.
Before buying and packing anything “suspicious” to would be best to find out first by checking on the security rules. Some of those you can’t get through the security are shared by Jaunted in this post Five of the Best Banned Items You Absolutely Can’t Bring Back Home.
- Kinder Eggs: A couple from Seattle learned this the hard way recently, as they were detained at the border over their chocolate contraband.
Photo Credit: Derek Key https://goo.gl/54f2ZD
Kinder Eggs—popular pretty much everywhere, but the US—aren’t allowed to be brought into the nifty fifty. Basically the issue is that the little toys inside the chocolate eggs are a choking hazard, and the FDA isn’t too cool with them because food with non-nutritive objects in it is a big fat nope. So for now keep your candy separate from your toys, and you’ll be okay.
- Absinthe: Wander through an overseas liquor store – the real good stuff … “Absinthe” … isn’t looked kindly upon in the United States. The label is the bummer. Anything with the label “Absinthe” is not allowed within the Uncle Sam territory, particularly when the image on the label bears images suggesting at hallucinogenic or intoxicating effects.
- Soup: Customs officials aren’t fans of … anything containing even the smallest little bit of meat, and that means that stuff like soup mix or bouillon isn’t going to fly. There is no way you can bring soup on board. So better slurp everything or be ready to trash them before boarding. You don’t want that soup delaying you or anyone in the long queue.
- Cheese: Most cheese—both hard and semi-soft—is probably okay, but of course Uncle Sam has the right to disagree. Brooke Porter Katz of Travel + Leisure offers this answer in the post Can I Bring Home Cheese From Abroad?
“The answer is yes, but with a few caveats. You can carry hard, soft, pasteurized, and unpasteurized cheeses, even those packed in brine. Butter and cultured-milk products (yogurt, sour cream) are also permitted. Just don’t forget to declare the items at the airport.”
If the cheese is ricotta or the runny type from France that’s close to heavy cream in texture, especially when the source is known to be affected by foot-and-mouth disease, don’t even try.
- Cuban Cigars: This kind of goes for anything from a country that the United States has (a) terrible relationship with. This means don’t bring home anything that’s made in any embargoed countries such as Iran, Burma (Myanmar) and Sudan. Books, photographs and magazines are alright, but not blank media such as blank CDs.
If you are traveling t the United States, it is best to do a bit of research. Check out the Transport Security Administration website to find out what you need to know – wrapped gifts, pies, cakes, liquids, oils and vinegars, etc.
As a safety reminder, bringing home furs made from animals such as dogs and cats is not a cool idea, as far as the CDC is concerned as they may carry anthrax microbes. Bringing soil is not allowed. If it is your idea of a souvenir, think again. If it’s business related, then get a permit.
