Practical Travel Safety Issues - tsa and tomatoes

Will i be able to take a dozen large homegrown tomatoes thry TSA at IAH Houston? Only post i can find re: this subject are 10 years old. Thanks in advance.

Will i be able to take a dozen large homegrown tomatoes thry TSA at IAH Houston? Only post i can find re: this subject are 10 years old. Thanks in advance.

I don't see why not. Even at the height of the liquid-ban insanity (i.e., the first few weeks), I traveled with a handful of whole oranges as a way to guarantee I had some means of hydration in the event of a tarmac delay. I've heard a lot of horror stories about TSA but never one of confiscating whole fresh fruit.

Sad that we have to ask this question in today's America, but unfortunately it is a legitimate question.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2803/attackofthekillertomatoc.jpg

There are some on here who would throw the tomatoes at the TSOs. :D

Tomatoes are, on average, 95% water. So, in theory, as long as you're taking 3.57 oz or less of tomatoes and they fit into a 1 qt. bag, you should be fine.

I take whole fruit from California to family in Colorado all the time. It's not a liquid in a container, it's a solid piece of fruit. Just don't juice it pre-security :p

Hell, I once took a potted lemon tree with fruit on it through... TSA at SMF didn't even blink.

thats my fear, that they are mostly liquid- and i hope to take many many tomatoes......i will try half as carry on and half as checked but wrapped will in bubble wrap in big ziplocks.....i have a HUGE garden and want to share with daughter in Manhattan .

thats my fear, that they are mostly liquid- and i hope to take many many tomatoes......i will try half as carry on and half as checked but wrapped will in bubble wrap in big ziplocks.....i have a HUGE garden and want to share with daughter in Manhattan .I would not put tomatoes in checked luggage. The temperature in the cargo hold can get quite cold and temperature on the ground while baggage is being loaded/waiting/unloaded can quite hot, especially in Texas, and neither extreme is good for perishable fruit.

You would probably be much better off shipping them to her.

I can't see why you'd have any issues. They'll get screened just like any other carry-on items. Just keep them away from any FTers who may be there or they'll likely get tossed at the nearest TSO. :D

If they're hungry look out;)

closest thing i can find on the TSA website:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1667.shtm
Food must be wrapped or in a container. Unpeeled natural foods like fruit are okay, but half-eaten fruits must be wrapped.

I've taken oranges and grapes through many times. I'd imagine tomatoes are much the same.

ok I will try carryon and see if i make it thru- and will happily post results in case anyone would like to know what happens. I take cooked frozen pork ribs everytime, but there is nothing liquid about that. Thanks so much to everyone for being so nice. I seldom post because i often read so many unkind comments on flyertalk. Again Thank you!^

Sorry, unless it's deep fried or frosted, the TSA is not interested in your food.

I had a TSO at DFW threaten to confiscate the scrapple I was taking back to the West Coast because he thought it could be C-4. :rolleyes:

It made him think, though, when I said "Look... if this WAS C-4... do you think I'd need 9 pounds of it?"

Note to all bad guys: Carefully apply orange skin to your 8 ounce bladders filled with the liquid binary explosive of choice, and disguise the seams. Or use a syringe to inject vodka into a regular orange and have a party on the plane. Your choice. :D

Will i be able to take a dozen large homegrown tomatoes thry TSA at IAH Houston? Only post i can find re: this subject are 10 years old. Thanks in advance.

Tomato's are food and therefore allowed.

Tomato's are food and therefore allowed.

Like cupcakes...oh wait...

No, all the analysis showing that tomatoes fall within the TSA guidelines is misguided. Every analysis of whether the screening clerks will allow something has to start with the following observation:

Screening clerks are stupid.

They don't look for potential liquid explosives, they look for potential liquids. Because they're stupid. That's why the screening clerk in Las Vegas stopped the cupcake. Not because there was any possibility that it was dangerous, but because he thought the definition of "gel" was flexible enough to encompass cupcake icing.

Because he was stupid.

Screening clerks are stupid.

Tomatoes are mostly water and they do contain substantial liquid water. So there is every possibility that a screening clerk will decide that they are prohibited. It's true that the TSA rules allow them, but the TSA rules also state, explicitly, that a NEXUS card is an acceptable form of ID.

You can't ever tell what the TSA clerks are going to do. The fact that the rules allow something means nothing.

i understand about the cupcake. same thing happened to me at security IAH last year. My flight is tomorrow- will let you know w hat happens!

I have carried on whole fruit with no issues. Often I have grapes which I have frozen...no problems thus far.

Good luck.

I take whole fruit from California to family in Colorado all the time. It's not a liquid in a container, it's a solid piece of fruit. Just don't juice it pre-security :p

Hell, I once took a potted lemon tree with fruit on it through... TSA at SMF didn't even blink.

The day before yesterday I was flying JER-LGW. I was carrying an artificial orchid plant as hand baggage.

A local security jobsworth tried to confiscate the item, stating that the export of plants required a phyto-sanitary certificate. I gently drew her attention to the fact that the "plant" was not real.

This discussion went back and forth for three minutes or so, when she said she would "see to it" that I would be arrested for obstructing a security officer. I told her that I would welcome such intervention. When a police officer rolled up and heard the tale he merely rolled his eyes and told me to pass through to the departures hall.

A complaint has been lodged with the airport authority.

My carry on was pushed aside for private search... oh great, i thought there go my tomatoes. I had seperately bagged 16 large red ripe juicy homegrowns and 10 green tomatoes & a big ziplock of fresh basil leaves. TSA gently pulled them out, ran a test strip over my baggie of cookie mix ( i passed) and gently repacked the carryon placing the ripe ones on top to keep from smashing. SCORE! i couldn't believe it! :cool:

Glad to hear your items made it safe and the TSO actually followed proper procedures.