Originally Posted by
jbdk
Same here.. when I bring food back, from any country, I always mark "Food" on the form. They ask what it is and I tell them and show them (I keep all the food stuff in a bag for inspection. I have brought back beek jerky and cheese from numerous places. They are looking for fresh meat, fruits and veggies. If you declare it, you will never get in trouble. If it is not allowed, they just take it.
It isn't quite as simple as this. It depends on both the nature of the product and its source. For example, if you are coming from a place with a known 'Hoof and Mouth' epidemic, they will pull beef jerky, cheese, anything that came from a cow.
The Agricultural folks maintain an ever-changing list of what is acceptable from what countries based on the current state of zoonoses in various countries. However, you do have th right solution: if you are carrying food, always mark yes - I often identify the specific foods/sources on the back of the form for clarity at the beginning. Thus far, I haven't had anything confiscated, although I did have one thorough inspection bringing back meat products from France. At that time, anything that was Beef or Venison was prohibited, but poultry products were OK, so my fois gras came in safely!