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Can I carry cheese into US ?

Can I carry cheese into US ?

Old Jan 9, 2012, 12:40 pm
  #1  
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Can I carry cheese into US ?

Can I carry vacuum sealed cheese in US legally ? I am traveling from Europe.

How about sealed sausage ?

Thanks
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 12:51 pm
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Cheese - mostly yes
Meat - mostly no
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...r-personal-use
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 12:55 pm
  #3  
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It depends.

In general probably not (you can carry it but they will take it when you declare it or the doggies find it). Hard cheeses are usually let through easier than soft ones. They would need to be pasteurized. Unless the cheese shop or whatever knows for certain they are approved for import, I would bet they would be problems at the border.

If it's been inspected for import into the US, it's probably not the kind of stuff you want to waste your time and money carrying back.

Meat products, especially fresh meats, would almost certainly not get through.

If you do try, I would not risk trying to smuggle them through without declaring them. If they do catch you, they will probably fine you in addition to taking the products.
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 1:25 pm
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As already suggested, it's not even worth trying with meat/fish products even if you declare it, unless they're in a can. With cheese, I would take the risk of having it impounded, but I'd certainly declare it. Chances are you'll get to keep it; the one time I brought cheese into the US from Europe and went through the red channel, the customs official responded: "It's good for jetlag - proceed!".
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 2:02 pm
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Thanks.
I was planning to get liverwurst, ( "liver sausage,")

Also cheese, I would buy the aged hard cheese. Very tempting as it is cheap.
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 2:07 pm
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Cheese is o.k. Usually as long as it does not have whey.

Forget about liverwurst/leberwurst.
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 2:08 pm
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Bring the cheese and declare it - and buy yourself some Spam once you're back to substitute for the Leberkse!
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 2:18 pm
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Only Dutch cheese is allowed!
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 3:05 pm
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Cheese is not problem. I've brought in all kinds of cheese from France and Italy without difficulty. This includes runny well-ripened stinky cheese. A farmer's cheese or a ricotta would be a soft cheese and theoretically not allowed, but my impression is that customs just doesn't care about cheese. FWIW I keep vacuum packed Parmigiano for months and it stays tasty. When you do open it, never touch it with your hands and double wrap in plastic and it will last months more.
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 3:37 pm
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Originally Posted by erik123
Only Dutch cheese is allowed!
ARe you absolutely sure about this? Is they allowed to bring the cheese?
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 5:21 pm
  #11  
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Originally Posted by sunrise
Thanks.
I was planning to get liverwurst, ( "liver sausage,")

Also cheese, I would buy the aged hard cheese. Very tempting as it is cheap.
You can buy decent liverwurst here in the US. Depending where you live, I can recommend German delis or just check the Internet
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Old Jan 9, 2012, 5:24 pm
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Originally Posted by Passmethesickbag
Bring the cheese and declare it - and buy yourself some Spam once you're back to substitute for the Leberkse!
Leberkaese is no Liverwurst
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Old Jan 10, 2012, 12:38 am
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True, but I enjoy typing the umlaut and you wouldn't be allowed either.
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Old Jan 10, 2012, 3:05 am
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Thanks all.
Liverwurst is so cheap, 69c for 500 gm at Aldi - in US wherever I find it would be 10 time more expensive, I would think !
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Old Jan 10, 2012, 3:09 am
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Well that should give you a hint about the quality of the ingredients

But unless I'm mistaken, so long as you declare it, the worst that can happen is that they will take it from you. Even though that is the likely outcome, you may find it worth the odds.
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