When packing for a flight there may be some food items including liquids
that you want to take with you on your trip.
But you might be wondering if the food items that you want to take
will make it through security or let alone even allowed on the airplane.
So in this video I am going to break down a list of the most commonly asked about foods
and whether or not you can pack them for your flight.
Let's go
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So before you decide to pack food for your trip the first thing you need to decide
is if you are going to be taking a checked bag, a carry-on bag or both,
because depending on which bag you pack food into,
it has a major impact on which food items you are going to be able to take with you onto the plane.
And in case you are a new flyer,
I will briefly explain the difference between a checked bag and a carry-on bag.
A carry-on bag would be a small suitcase or bag that is small enough to carry with you
onto the plane, and would be able to fit into the overhead storage compartments on the airplane.
A checked bag is going to be anything larger than a carry-on bag that is
too big to fit in the overhead storage compartments and would
have to be stored in the designated storage area underneath the airplane.
The reason it matters what type of luggage you pack food into
is because a carry-on bag has stricter security measures than a checked bag.
And this is because you do have full access to your carry-on bag for the
duration of your flight and so you are limited to what you can bring onboard.
So any liquid, aerosol, gel, cream or paste has to follow
what's known as the 3-1-1 rule for a carry-on bag.
The rule states that you are limited to travel size
containers that are 3.4 ounces or less per item.
Now you can pack as many of those containers that fit into one single quart size bag.
However, you are only allowed one bag per passenger.
So I am going to break up the list of foods into three parts.
The first part is going to be a list of foods that you can pack it into
your checked or carry-on bag with no limitations.
The second part is going to be a list of foods that are okay to pack in your checked bag
but would have limitations in a carry-on bag.
And the third and last part is going to be those food items that are exceptions to the 3-1-1 rule.
And just note ultimately the TSA does have the final say on
which items of food are allowed through screening.
So just because the list I am going to share are items that TSA has listed as approved foods,
the TSA can overrule any item if they choose to.
So let's start with the first part.
Here is a list of foods that can be packed into your checked or carry-on bag with no restrictions.
Bread, candy as long as it's not a liquid or gel.
Gummy type candy like gummy bears are okay.
Cereal, solid cheese, solid chocolate, coffee, and these can be beans or ground coffee.
An empty coffee thermos. I know that's not really a food but just wanted to put that in there.
Cooked meat, seafood and vegetables as long as there's no liquid.
Cookies, crackers, dried fruits, fresh eggs,
gum, nuts, solid pet food, dry or moist pet food is considered solid food.
Pies and cakes, pizza, protein or energy powders,
salt, sandwiches, snack bar or snacks as long as it's not a liquid or gel.
Dry spices, dry tea bags or loose tea leaves.
This obviously is not a complete list but these are the most common asked about foods.
Now let's move on to part two.
These are going to be foods that you are allowed to pack in your checked bag
but would be limited in a carry-on bag.
These foods are creamy cheese, chocolate in liquid form, coffee in liquid form,
creamy dips and spreads, gravy, honey, hummus, ice cream, jam and jelly, maple syrup, juices,
oils and vinegars, peanut butter and yes according to the TSA peanut butter is considered a liquid.
Wet pet food, salad dressing, salsa and sauces, soda, soups, and yogurt.
To go along with this list, bottled water.
There is no limitation to how much you can pack in a checked bag however,
you do want to make sure your bag doesn't exceed the weight restriction for a checked bag.
For most airlines it's 50 pounds.
If you want to pack water in your carry-on, it is subject to the 3.4 ounce rule.
Now what I usually do is just pack an empty water bottle and
once you are through security you can fill it up at a water fountain.
And most airports these days do have filtered water stations.
Alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages with more than 24 percent but not more than 70 percent
alcohol are limited in checked bags to 5 liters or 1.3 gallons per passenger,
and must be in unopened retail packaging.
Alcoholic beverages with less than 24 percent alcohol are not subject to these limitations.
Now if you wanted to pack alcohol in your carry-on bag they would have to be the mini
bottles of alcohol and they would all have to fit in that quart sized bag.
Now any alcohol more than 70 percent alcohol or over 140 proof
are all prohibited in both your checked and your carry-on bag.
Canned foods. No problem to pack these in a checked bag.
They can be packed in a carry-on bag however, because of how they appear on the x-ray it could
require additional screening which could result in the item not being allowed through the checkpoint.
For this reason it's best to keep canned foods packed in a checked bag.
Fresh fruits and vegetables.
These are allowed to be packed in either a checked
or carry-on bag as long as they are not in a liquid or gel form.
Just note that if you are flying from either Hawaii,
Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S.
you cannot take most fresh fruits and vegetables due to the risk of spreading invasive plants.
Fresh meat and seafood and other frozen food.
These items and other non-liquid items are allowed in your checked or carry-on bag.
If you are going to be packing these items in a cooler or container filled with ice or ice packs,
the ice and ice packs need to be completely frozen when going through security.
Now if the ice or ice packs are half melted or slushy or there's liquid at the bottom of
the container, they are not going to be permitted to go through security.
You can also pack frozen perishables in your carry-on or checked bag in dry ice.
Now the FAA does limit you to five pounds of dry ice
and it does need to be properly packed, vented, and marked.
To go along with this, gel ice packs do need to be completely
frozen when going through airport security.
If they are partially melted in any way then they would need to follow the 311 liquid rule.
The only exception to this rule is that if you are using the gel ice packs to keep medication cool,
then they are allowed to be partially melted or slushy.
You would just need to notify the TSA officer that you have the medication
so that they can properly inspect it.
And believe it or not you are allowed to bring a live lobster with you onboard the airplane.
Now I don't think you could claim it as an emotional support animal,
but I don't know maybe you could try.
But as far as I know you are allowed one live lobster with you through security.
It does need to be transported in a clear plastic, spill proof container.
The TSA agent will inspect your lobster at the security checkpoint.
Now it is recommended that you contact the airline you are flying with to determine
their policy on traveling with your lobster before arriving at the airport.
Now for the third and last part, the exceptions to the 3-1-1 rule.
So there are in fact items that you can pack in your
carry-on that can exceed the 3.4 ounces of liquid.
Those items are formula, breast milk, juice and water for babies, and baby food.
Formula, breast milk, and juice are allowed in reasonable quantities in your carry-on bags.
Remove these items from your carry-on bag to
be screened separately from the rest of your belongings.
Also, you do not need to travel with your child to bring formula or breast milk.
Well I hope this video was helpful to you and if you had one of your
questions answered give the video a like and consider subscribing.
If you have any questions about TSA rules for food,
feel free to ask those in the comments section of this video.
I am happy to answer any questions that you have.
And make sure you check out the show notes in the video description where
I will list some other free resources that may be helpful to you as well.
Thank you so much for watching this one and I can't wait to see you in a future video!