Do you have a bad memory of the food at airports, or does the taste of the meals in restaurants not suit your taste buds? Maybe you are just health conscious or wish to take some blessings of your loved ones in the form of dishes they prepared for you before leaving for new destinations. Before you carry your homemade delights to the airport, you must first know what foods you can take on your flight.
Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you can’t take any food at all with you. There are some restrictions you need to watch out for while packing your eatables. Find out about all the food limitations in this blog that keep you from taking your tiny packages to the flight.
Food You Can Carry Carefree
First, let’s discuss which food you can bring (in adequate quantities) on your flight and fit inside your carry-on and checked bags. These are the safest foods that generally require no additional screening.
Take a quick look at the list of foods given below.
- Baby Food
- Toddler’s drink and breast milk
- Bread
- Candy
- Cereal
- Cheese (solid)
- Chocolate (solid)
- Coffee (beans or powdered)
- Tea (lose leaves or dry tea bags)
- Thermos for storing liquids
- Cooked meat, seafood, and vegetable
- Cookies, crackers, gum, snack bar
- Dried fruits, nuts
- Fresh eggs
- Pet food (solid)
- Pies, cakes, pizza, sandwiches, snacks
- Protein and energy powders
- Salt, dry spices
- Other solid foods
- Tamale
Meals To Bring With Caution
You need to take extra care of some eatables while carrying them to your flight. Certain limits apply to such food items, and you must note them before adding such elements to your bags. Security at airports put extra care in checking the fluid items to prevent the risk of explosives being carried in the plane.
The appropriate method:
- Carry the liquid and gel items only in your checked bags.
- You can carry the liquid items in your carry-on, but make sure they don’t exceed the amount of 3.4 oz/100 ml.
- The liquid items should be frozen.
- Milk items should be stored in transparent or translucent bottles. Refrain from keeping them in plastic bags or pouches.
- If you are carrying alcohol, it must have only 24% alcohol content. A single passenger can bring an unopened bottle of alcohol in retail packing, which is up to 5 liters only.
- You can carry the alcohol bottle in your carry-on unless it perfectly fits your bag.
Here is a list of the fluid items you can bring if you follow the limitations:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Baby formula, juices, and water
- Bottled water
- Canned foods
- Creamy cheese
- Liquid chocolate
- Coffee (liquid)
- Creamy dips, spreads, hummus, salsa, and sauces,
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Fresh meat and seafood
- Frozen food
- Gel ice packs
- Yogurt, soups and gravy
- Peanut butter, honey, and maple syrup
- Ice cream
- Jam and jelly
- Soda and juices
- Oils and vinegar
- Wet pet food
- Salad dressing
The Prohibited Items
The only item you can’t take on your flight is alcoholic beverages. You may have noticed this in the list of items you can bring with caution. However, there are some exceptions that are completely prohibited. These include beverages with more than 70% alcoholic content, like Grain alcohol and 151-proof rum.
Things To Consider
You must keep in mind that even if a food item is allowed to be carried to your flight, the officer at the TSA checkpoint may reject it. It can happen for various reasons, such as a tampered food container or an item presenting security issues. In such cases, you may even need to show items for screening that are normally acceptable.
You may have to separate items that might clutter inside your bag to ensure smooth screening at the security checkpoint. Keep these things in mind and pack your tasty treats with the responsibility to travel safely and stress-free.
Conclusion
Is there something on the list you can take with you on your journey to new destinations? Is there also something you can’t add to your bags? Remember, some items which are not permitted in your carry-on are allowed in checked bags. Hence, you can shift some stuff to your checked bags and take them with you. Nonetheless, don’t feel bad if you have to leave some stuff at your home. You can enjoy your new favorites at the places you are flying to.
If there is any item you can’t find on the list that you wish to carry and need more details about it, you can head to the AskTSA executives to clarify your concerns. Their dedicated team works at your service every day of the year, offering live assistance from 8 AM until 6 PM.
FAQs
Yes, you can take some kind of homemade foods on your flight, such as soups, salads, hummus, dips, cookies, pies, sandwiches, snacks, cooked meat, seafood, and vegetables.
You can carry cooked foods such as meat, seafood, vegetables, and solid food on your flight.
TSA security does not permit liquid foods that exceed the quantity limit and alcohol with more than 70% alcohol in it.
Yes, you can carry a water bottle in your checked bags and a small 100ml bottle in your carry-on bags.
You must carry your medicine at all times in your carry-on so you can take your dose on time. You must ensure that the medications do not pose any safety concerns.
Yes, you can carry milk or other liquid items on the plane unless they are frozen or in a semi-solid state. It must be stored in transparent containers, and the amount shouldn’t exceed 100 ml or 3.4 ounces.