DiningBuzz! - Taking food into the US

I've searched around but surprisingly I can't seem to find an answer. Am I permitted to take a loaf of bread (Hovis seeds and grains) into the US?

US Customs and Border Protection site....


https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/82

This may help - or at least direct you to someone that knows? It seems to suggest bread is ok.

Thanks Gash

What a faff those rules are. Even customs officers don't get them right. I got asked one time by customs if I was "sure I didn't have any food I was bringing in. I'd ticked no on the form. "No," I said. "Just some tea for my family." "That's food. You have to declare it."

OK, fine. Next time I ticked yes.

"What food do you have?" "Some tea." "That isn't food. Don't tick the box unless you have fresh produce, meat, cheese, that kind of thing. You should know that." :mad:

Food = anything edible. For tea, tick the box to err on the side of caution and provide explanation if asked.

My response, yes, I am bringing in tea, and toffee.

I've searched around but surprisingly I can't seem to find an answer. Am I permitted to take a loaf of bread (Hovis seeds and grains) into the US?
No - no- it is a big no-no. My wife has been stopped twice now and reprimanded - 1st time was for an apple (it contains seeds) even though they (the airline) gave it her on the plane. She did not want to eat it on the plane but did not want to waste it either. The 2nd time was a loaf of bread. They really DO NOT like any food stuff of this nature or other brought into the US. They made aa note too.The Customs guy said - mm- last time you bought an apple in. So it looks like they document it too.

I've had no problem with chocolate candy, cookies, croissants, etc. I check yes on the form and write in what the food is. They might ask if I have any other food, but no big deal.

However, any fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, etc. can be a very big deal and lead to a big fine if caught. Sometimes these items are inspected and approved, such as tulip bulbs and flowers from Holland, but the risk to agriculture and health could be nontrivial from some food products. Please don't try to do it. (BYW, Australia is much more strict about this than the USA.)

However, any fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, etc. can be a very big deal and lead to a big fine if caught.

I never declare, whether I have food or not. It slows down my getaway dramatically. But one very rare time at LAX they searched my laptop bag and I had a banana from the flight in there. They just smiled and binned it. No fines or anything.

Wasn't there a Monty Python sketch about a man armed with a banana?

You were lucky. They could have been really nasty.

After a recent SIN-LAX flight, they seemed to send every passenger from our plane to secondary agricultural screening which meant standing in line for over an hour to have everything Xrayed. That was the day I finally decided to apply for GE even though my home airport doesn't yet have GE kiosks.

I do not remember Monty Python and the banana, but there was a thread on FT about the FA who stole a banana from the DL FC snack basket. Search for banana bandit.

I found it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piWCBOsJr-w

How to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana. :)

I had some snack-type food on me when we flew to SFO in September. Had a 30 second conversation with the customs guys who said it was fine. Easier to declare and get them to check.

I have brought bread, chocolate, and banana with me. And I always bring macaroons always. The place I stay at expect them and not ONE box but usually 5 big boxes. Hold them in my carry on. Never have I been stopped. Maybe I should count my lucky stars.

I can understand apples, the seeds could planted. I will post here if I get stopped for the macaroon. And I never declare that I have a food item, forget that I really do. Oooops.

Sometimes officers just want to take advantage of you.. As always..

I've been stopped and they confiscated a bottle of wine from my luggage claiming that it was not legal to bring bottled wine into the US.. I'm pretty sure they were just thirsty..

We always declare 5kg of chocolate candy - so far nobody has blinked at it. ;)

I do not bring other foodstuffs across borders, however tempting it might be.

I've searched around but surprisingly I can't seem to find an answer. Am I permitted to take a loaf of bread (Hovis seeds and grains) into the US?

Is it really necessary? :td:

I flew into Miami once. I'd had a banana in my bag, which I'd eaten before departure from heathrow.

At a very full baggage hall a nice little doggie was let loose and ran around sniffing everything enthusiastically. He decided to sit at my bag and his uniformed attendant strode over to speak to me.

Around 1,000 faces were all staring in my direction thinking it was a drugs bust!!:eek:

We entered overland and had some fruit and veg taken off us. We had loads of other food items with us like seeds,coffee,tea,sauces,spices,etc. none of them seemed to bother them.

I think they're more concerned as to whether you're telling the truth or not on the form. Just be up front when declaring what you have.

I had no problem taking in crumpets - which I put on my form. I suspect Hiddy is right and if you declare everything you'll probably be ok

I've been stopped and they confiscated a bottle of wine from my luggage claiming that it was not legal to bring bottled wine into the US.. I'm pretty sure they were just thirsty..

But dehydrated wine is OK?

I really don't think it's as bad as you lot are making it out to be. They don't care if you are innocently bringing in something harmless. And if you declare something harmless, you are guaranteeing a longer wait.

Now entering Australia on the other hand...!! That's a different story.

I always bring tea with me to the US. Otherwise, I prefer everything else, food wise, over there.

They will not tolerate any form of beef product: no matter how processed and cooked it might be. Having read on the customs site that meat which was canned and had been cooked in that can was permissible; I brought a canned steak & kidney pudding into the US. I declared it and had it confiscated.

You may not even bring in an Oxo cube. On one occasion, I brought and declared a British Christmas pudding. The ingredients were carefully scanned and they included beef suet. In the spirit of Christmas, the supervisor told the customs officer (who had intended to confiscate the pud) to turn a blind eye. Since then, we have always brought vegetarian Christmas puddings from the UK to the US. I think that the beef ban's only exception is made for one or two approved Italian salami manufacturers.

Is that an approved Italian salami in your pocket; or are you just happy to see me? ;)

Unless you have something illegal to possess, not just import (e.g. drugs) you are highly unlikely to have issues if you declare it. Worst that happens is your ham sandwich goes in the bin. But if you don't declare and it gets found, you're in for trouble.

I really don't think it's as bad as you lot are making it out to be. .

The obvious things are meat,fruit, veg and dairy products. Apart from that there shouldn't be much problem. We hadn't put down the vitamins my wife had bought for the mother in law and they were spotted during the bag scan.
They asked us if they were seal oil caps which are banned but we had cod liver oil which was okay.

Bread will almost certainly be okay as the seeds will have been frazzled when baked.

But if you don't declare and it gets found, you're in for trouble.

Not true in my experience, especially if it is just a small food item for your own consumption. On the other hand, if you are Arab or even look close to Arab, then all bets are off. It is the USA after all. :rolleyes:

Good to know these shared experiences. I'll declare my loaf in SFO tomorrow and let you know the outcome.

What a faff those rules are. Even customs officers don't get them right. I got asked one time by customs if I was "sure I didn't have any food I was bringing in. I'd ticked no on the form. "No," I said. "Just some tea for my family." "That's food. You have to declare it."

OK, fine. Next time I ticked yes.

"What food do you have?" "Some tea." "That isn't food. Don't tick the box unless you have fresh produce, meat, cheese, that kind of thing. You should know that." :mad:

Been there, dunn dat.
The excited states of america figures everyone is out to get them, and they act accordingly.

I am often checked on land crossings and they want to know why I have foreign money (less than 100 USD) in my wallet. Then they want to know ...
I have seen all sorts of vegetable products confiscated...

The latest was my sons could not bring an empty camping stove OUT of the USA on a fllight.

Flying into/out of Canada is comparatively easy.

Remember the USA was prepared to have their citizens and others die on 9/11 :rolleyes: when they stopped air traffic into the USA.

Their OWN citizens. Fortunately Canada allowed those aircrafy to land on Canadian soil. I am not bashing the Americans, just re-stating facts. They are excited. Deal with it ... :p

Be prepared for losing your stuff when you meet US border control types, no matter what you think.

Be prepared for losing your stuff when you meet US border control types, no matter what you think.

Not sure about that. I'm pretty sure they could have confiscated lots more of what we had if they wanted to.

The border crossing process at the Can/US border was all rather pathetic for two so called first world countries. Well over an hour and that was during a quiet period. :td:

I bought unpasteurised soft cheeses, they were fine, even though they are not allowed to be sold in the US.

I really don't think it's as bad as you lot are making it out to be. They don't care if you are innocently bringing in something harmless. And if you declare something harmless, you are guaranteeing a longer wait.....

Harmless is your term. The US border control types don't think from YOUR perspective..:rolleyes:

Harmless is your term. The US border control types don't think from YOUR perspective..:rolleyes:

Actually I think they do. Because both of our perspectives are common sense. I wasn't harassed for not declaring my banana because I said I had picked it up on the plane and it was just a single banana. Common sense. Had I an entire bunch of bananas undeclared, common sense would have again reigned and I would have spent much more time at the the airport that day.

If they harass you for something innocent, it is because of some other reason rather than food.

I try to not bring any food stuff - too contentious. Given that there appears to be so many interpretations by different "officers" - it just doesn't seem worth it. Even saw a FA get an apple removed from her bag in the flight crew express line - had left it there purely by accident - but it got the "finger wagging" response anyway. I make a (virtual) list of all the things missed since last trip to UK - diligently work through it while on UK soil. Then hammer the Cadbury's on the plane if available. :D

I always wonder about when one of the questions on the form is whether you have been anywhere rural (farms, etc) - like most of Britain! and it is summer so there are always summer fetes and garden shows...all because of mad cow's disease (still used as a reason you cannot give blood in US)!

Love it or hate it - part of the US "over-excited" make-up. Just a big contrast to the English no big deal "it's only a flesh wound" Black Knight psyche :)

Anyway - can get a lot of imported stuff on-line now - just have to save up or take out a mortgage, especially painful when the UK price is part of the wrapper (like it used to be on the CurlyWurly) so you can see the "modified exchange rate" :rolleyes:

The latest was my sons could not bring an empty camping stove OUT of the USA on a fllight..

Just because the camp stove was currently empty if it had ever been used then fumes could remain and cause a problem in the cargo hold. The refusal to allow it on the flight would've had absolutely nothing to do with customs.

Part of the confusion also lies between what the "welcome to the US" video shows while you are waiting for immigration (at least in Boston) and the custom form.

The video seems to imply that only fresh products such as vegetables and meat are forbidden whereas the custom form asks you to declare any food.

For my last entry, I did not declare any food but had 24 cans of tuna in olive oil and was controlled. The officer told me I should have been honest on the form but let me keep the cans...

Just brought some Scottish Shortbread in ( a type of cookie) and we declared it and there was no problem.

Is it really necessary? :td:

I flew into Miami once. I'd had a banana in my bag, which I'd eaten before departure from heathrow.

At a very full baggage hall a nice little doggie was let loose and ran around sniffing everything enthusiastically. He decided to sit at my bag and his uniformed attendant strode over to speak to me.

Around 1,000 faces were all staring in my direction thinking it was a drugs bust!!:eek:
It seems common for the dog to alert if you had forbidden food in your bag previously. This is not a big deal. The dog apparently responds to the remaining smell from the food.

Of course you can bring a limited amount of wine into the USA if you are over age 21 and are entering a state that permits this.

The video seems to imply that only fresh products such as vegetables and meat are forbidden whereas the custom form asks you to declare any food.

There is a difference between what you must declare and what is forbidden. Just because you have to declare it, it doesn't mean they will confiscate it. Agriculture may want to inspect it, and to determine if it is acceptable.

The proper thing to do is declare your food - 99 times out of a hundred (maybe more), the primary inspector will ask you what it is, and most things, chocolate, candy, cookies and about 95% of the stuff people actually bring - stuff other than meat, fruits, veggies, dairy, seeds, nuts, etc. - they will send you on your way. If you have any of those other things, they'll send you to be inspected, and you still may be ok.

The fact is - the US form does list the generic item "food" as one that must be declared (unlike most other countries, which list only specific kinds of foods). It is kind of sneaky the way they list it, because it is in the middle of a list of specific kinds of foods, so it is kind of hard to notice unless you are paying closer attention, but it is there in no uncertain terms. I live in the US, and when I used to bring cookies from home in Canada, etc. I would always have to declare "food," however, when asked what it was, I told them, and was always sent on my way. Going back to Canada, these items wouldn't need to be declared.

I once spoke with a customs officer at length about the food items that are not allowed into the US, and in no uncertain terms, he said that the only main categories of things that are 100% forbidden are citrus fruits (even those originating in the US) and goat meat. Other things, for example, fruits and vegetables may not be permitted based on something like country of origin (or if that can't be determined), but nothing else is outright. An apple, to use something that has been brought up in this thread, is not necessarily outright banned, if inspected by agriculture and determined to be from a place on a list of accepted countries (and dependent on where you are arriving from). However, my guess is, most of the time, simply not declaring your apple will lead to its confiscation if found, no inspection, because you failed to declare it.

One thing to note - may not be applicable to many on this board - but customs does seem to be loosening on this a bit, at least with trusted travelers. Those enrolled in Global Entry, and who use the kiosk's to enter instead of the paper customs forms, do not get asked to declare the generic "food," and are only asked to declare specific types of food, like most other countries I have been to do.

It seems common for the dog to alert if you had forbidden food in your bag previously. This is not a big deal. The dog apparently responds to the remaining smell from the food.

Of course you can bring a limited amount of wine into the USA if you are over age 21 and are entering a state that permits this.

which states forbid this that have international arrivals?

Based on 25+ times through customs:

1) Wine is fine, but may be charged duty (less likely these days as they seemed to have figured it costs them $40 to collect $20).
2) Bread is fine
3) Cheese is fine. The law says you can't bring in raw milk cheeses aged less than 30 days. I always bring them in when I go to France, and I declare it on my form "raw milk cheese aged less than 30 days". Never, even lost a fromage.
4)Fresh Fruit and veg is unlikely to be allowed. I just don't bring in fresh fruit/veg.
5) Meat is not allowed. When I bring in the raw milk cheese, they usually say "got any sausages" or something similar.

If you have something really special, it might be worth the hassle to bring it in. My wife bought orchids from Hawaii to California (the two strictest agricultural importing states) and requested an inspection. Took about 20 minutes and they were cleared.

which states forbid this that have international arrivals?
Utah -- DL 88 flies CDG-SLC, plus flights from Mexico. Arriving international passengers are allowed 1L of alcohol, and that's it. Bringing back a case of wine from your Paris trip would be an expensive mistake. It's not a matter of duties; 1L is a hard limit. Anything over that will be confiscated.

Technically speaking, passengers on domestic flights (or driving into the state) aren't allowed to bring any alcohol at all, but there's no customs inspection to catch you.

Utah allows only licensed distributors to bring any amount of alcohol into the state, with only a handful of exceptions (like the international arrivals at SLC or people moving to Utah with their wine cellar). Individuals bringing small amounts for their own personal use are not one of the exceptions.

Just because the camp stove was currently empty if it had ever been used then fumes could remain and cause a problem in the cargo hold. The refusal to allow it on the flight would've had absolutely nothing to do with customs.

Oh yawn, here we go again.

It doesn't take a degree in organic chemistry with a specialization in hydrocarbon fuels to understand that the fuel evaporates quickly and leaves no trace - not even for a gas chromatograph - you know those machines they put the "swab" into when shoes are swabed or when a box interior is swabed.

OTOH, these actions are usually spelled out by lawyers, and the like, who love to speculate about what could happen if.... Armchair quarterbacks and armchair lawyers also love to do that - especially when they have no vested interest in the topic at hand.

Well, each flight and each breath COULD be our last - and we will all eventually reach that situation.

Empty of fuel is just that - empty with no trace. Period.

Further to bureaucracy - It is interesting (for me) to note that flying into/out of other countries is easier BUT more expensive due to taxes and fuel surcharges, etc and those countries do not seem to be as excited about my travels around this planet. Page 3 of my Canadian passport has no restrictions as to which country I travel to or thru. I refer US customs types to that page when they ask why I travel and keep pushing the issue. Telling the truth is what I deal in when talking with US customs types and to me that is always the best policy. However, I will not be abused by any bureaucrat - and in a different Canada customs inspection situation, I had to ask for the superintendent when a Canadian border type told me that he could not allow me entry into Canada... BUT, that is another story. :rolleyes:

I always wonder about when one of the questions on the form is whether you have been anywhere rural (farms, etc) - like most of Britain! and it is summer so there are always summer fetes and garden shows...all because of mad cow's disease (still used as a reason you cannot give blood in US)!

The issues with farms predates mad cow and is intended to prevent transmission of all manner of diseases. Hoof and mouth is particularly feared. Then there is the issue of invasive species. You are crossing an ocean and all that. These questions may be a PITA, but they aren't as ridiculous as some make them out to be.

FWIW, similar concerns mean that you have to go through agricultural screening when flying from mainland US to Hawaii.

I declared when I returned from Amsterdam (I had bulbs), and the entire process took an extra 5 minutes. It really wasn't a hassle.

For Reference ...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form 6059B - Instructions
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/sample_declaration_form.xml

11. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Are you bringing with you:

a. fruits, plants, food, or insects?
b. meats, animals, or animal/wildlife products?
c. disease agents, cell cultures, or snails?
d. soil or have you visited a farm/ranch/pasture outside the United States?

12. Mark an X in the Yes or No box. Have you or any family members traveling with you been in close proximity of (such as touching or handling) livestock outside the United States?

When I was a kid, Bull's Eyes were a popular candy and can still be obtained from 'retro' sweet shops/candy stores on both sides of the Atlantic. For my next US entry, I'd like to see the reaction if I declare 1/4 lb of Bull's Eyes. :D

I, perhaps stupidly, didn't think of perusing the questionnaire. When last in SYD we got some of the lovely Assie lamb cutlets and a roast, in the Duty Free ~ just for personal consumption. All were thickly & hermitically sealed and had all kinds of offical stamps stating that were up to snuff with the agriculture authorites. I guess I just assumed that it was perfectly legal.

Unfortunately I also had some fruit (I think it was 2-3 passion fruit) that I carelessly had tossed into my handlugge, while preparing to land. We just strolled through at SFO (a transit stop on our way to NAS) but were stopped for a search. The officer was not happy, he took the fruit but let us take the meat ~ he really gave us a an earful.

But I do think there has been progress made in the US. I was an FA in the mid 70's, flying exclusively non-stop between the Caribbean and Europe. Occasionaly we had to divert to MIA en route, for an hour or so for some paper work usually and nobody was allowed off, save the Captain. All the crew scrambled to hide our food stuffs (cheese, salamis, parma hams belgian choclates etc.) inside the catering containers which had "quarintine tape", crossed over the them. Agriculture teams plus immigration would board the plane, then the former, would rip off the tapes in all galleys and confiscate everything. Including Crew meals. It was a real drag since none of it would be entering the US. Without a doubt our goodies were divvied up up between
them and taken home :(

Good to know these shared experiences. I'll declare my loaf in SFO tomorrow and let you know the outcome.

In the end I did not declare the loaf based on the small print on the back of the declaration form. It touches on the purpose, obviously the prevention of pests etc where said loaf could not really pose a threat. That would have been my response if asked, but definitely not in a smarta$$, amateur, lawyer manner :cool:. We were asked at customs whether we were carrying any fruit, meat etc, said, "No," and sailed through.

There were no dogs around so it was always going to be OK, anyway. The reason for asking the question in the first place was that a loaf of the proverbial had previously been sniffed out, at JFK, after loading our bags off the belt: on that occasion we were just waved on our way without even having to open the case.

I'm British, and have lived in the US for the last 7 years. I travel fairly regularly to the UK on short business trips, and 2 or maybe 3 times a year do a bumper food haul back to the US, where 1 of my 2 checked bags is literally full of food items and my other bag also has food items wrapped up in the clothes etc.

The food I bring in usually includes some or most of the following (just because I miss certain British brands now and again):

Chocolate, tea, tinned puddings (e.g. spotted dick, sticky toffee etc.), powdered custard, noodles (e.g. chicken & mushroom flavoured Pot Noodles!), crisps, mustard, spices, tomato puree, garlic puree, chinese and indian cooking sauces, gravy granules and more that I've probably forgotten about now.

Every time I declare I have food. Every time the immigration official asks what I have. I start to rattle off the list, he gets bored and changes my check mark on the form from 'yes' to 'no'. I have never, ever, had a problem after doing this 20+ times.

My logic is that I do not want to lie. If I say 'no' and I get subjected to a random search and they find something, then they're going to wonder what else I lied about. This could have hassle written all over it. To tick 'yes' each time has simply added 10 seconds worth of conversation to the proceedings and nothing more. As long as you're not being daft and bringing meat, fruit, veg etc. (that's obviously going to cause more of an issue) then no need to lie on the form.

That's a fascinating shopping list!

I can understand chocolate and tea, and having seen the prices charged for 'erbs and spices understand why they're included. But the other items remind me I'm glad I like American food [and continue to export to UK large quantities of BBQ rubs] ;)

As long as you're not being daft and bringing meat, fruit, veg etc. (that's obviously going to cause more of an issue) then no need to lie on the form.

Yes any fresh fruit or veg which contains seeds seems to be what they're on the look out for. Our lettuce was okay to enter yet our tomatoes and lemon were apprehended.

Yes any fresh fruit or veg which contains seeds seems to be what they're on the look out for. Our lettuce was okay to enter yet our tomatoes and lemon were apprehended.

Sadly any attempts at lettuce import on my part would almost certainly end in disaster as the poor thing would be crushed to a pulp by the tins of Branston baked beans....

...and now over to Dining Buzz.

Swanhunter
Moderator, BAEC

My logic is that I do not want to lie.

Same here. I endeavor to follow the rules, even the ones I don't agree with.
Otherwise we have anarchy.

For instance, I'm responding to this post in DiningBuzz even though it belongs in TravelBuzz http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i251/benzomatic/Emoticons/icon_smile_tongue.gif

I've had no problem with chocolate candy, cookies, croissants, etc. I check yes on the form and write in what the food is. They might ask if I have any other food, but no big deal.

However, any fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, etc. can be a very big deal and lead to a big fine if caught. Sometimes these items are inspected and approved, such as tulip bulbs and flowers from Holland, but the risk to agriculture and health could be nontrivial from some food products. Please don't try to do it. (BYW, Australia is much more strict about this than the USA.)

This is what happened to my daughter. She forgot to declare it on a flight from LHR to SEA because she was connecting directly to a flight to YVR. She never made that flight because customs "caught" her. They wound up letting her bring it in (it was all cheese) but fining her $500 and putting her on their "watched" list. Not worth the cheese.

Sometimes officers just want to take advantage of you.. As always..

I've been stopped and they confiscated a bottle of wine from my luggage claiming that it was not legal to bring bottled wine into the US.. I'm pretty sure they were just thirsty..

Just thirsty. No rules against wine as long as you declare it. If you bring cases of it in at once, you may be charged duty. I've brought bottles of wine from three continents to the US, declared them, and never had a issue.

As for the OP's question, I'd declare the bread and see if you can bring it in. If it has a lot of seeds, customs might have an issue with it.

Food that has been cooked or processed is okay. Any pests or plant material will have been killed, so a loaf of bread or bag of cookies is okay. Food like apples, viable seeds, bananas etc.. is big no no. Of course, this is to the discretion of the customs inspector so they may not realize that a loaf of bread has been cooked and the may not permit it., or they may just be a hard .......:p

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What about Halva? I ask because it's processed food but made out of seeds. It's a sealed organic product.

Cooking the halva kills the seeds. I dont even think seeds used in cooking are viable, although some inspector may say it is not allowed. They have alot of discretion.

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This is what happened to my daughter. She forgot to declare it on a flight from LHR to SEA because she was connecting directly to a flight to YVR. She never made that flight because customs "caught" her. They wound up letting her bring it in (it was all cheese) but fining her $500 and putting her on their "watched" list. Not worth the cheese.

I assume she got 'caught' when her bags were sent thru the agriculture x-ray machine.

I general, if a passenger declares no food and happens to get sent to 'green light' and food shows up on the screen, the customs agent will ask the passenger if they have any food. If the passenger suddenly 'remembers' and says 'yes', they will not get fined. This is considered like a verbal amendment to the customs form. If they still do not remember the food, they probably will get fined.