As we all prepare to wow our friends and family with our cooking skills, TSA wants travelers flying to be well informed on what food items need to be checked and what can be put in a carry-on.
So if you’re flying for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, take heed to the guidelines released by the agency on Wednesday to help make traveling easier.
According to the TSA website, the following can be carried through security checkpoints:
- Baked goods. Homemade or store-bought pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, and other sweet treats.
- Meats. Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked, or uncooked.
- Stuffing. Cooked, uncooked, in a box or in a bag.
- Casseroles. Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic.
- Mac ‘n Cheese. Cooked in a pan or traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination.
- Fresh vegetables. Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, squash, and greens.
- Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, pineapple, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and kiwi.
- Candy.
- Spices.
Food items typically need to have additional security screening, it’s strongly suggested that travelers place those items in an easily accessible location of the carry-on when packing and removing those items from your bag to place them in a bin for screening at the checkpoint.
As for items that need to be carefully stored and checked baggage, the website list the following:
- Cranberry sauce. Homemade or canned are spreadable, so check them.
- Gravy. Homemade or in a jar/can.
- Wine, champagne, sparking apple cider.
- Canned fruit or vegetables. It’s got liquid in the can, so check them.
- Preserves, jams, and jellies. They are spreadable, so best to check them.
- Maple syrup.
If you are unsure about your food item, the agency encourages you to check the TSA homepage, where you can type in the item and find out if you can carry it through a checkpoint or if it should be checked.
Passengers can also tweet their questions to @AskTSA to find out how best to travel with the item or inquire via Facebook Messenger.
Safe travels!
