Originally Posted by
FredAnderssen
Once went I went through customs at MSP I didn't declare a couple of chocolate bars I had. When an officer asked me about them and why I hadn't declared my food items, I stated that "my mother always says that candy isn't food."
She was not amused. I declare my candy now.
Did she let you go with a warning? Or did you have to pay a fine for attempting to smuggle undeclared food?
Seriously, folks, just DECLARE! The vast majority of food items that the average tourist would want to bring back--candy, chocolates, cookies, other baked goods, etc--are allowed. But anything that is "food" MUST be declared. The declaration form is very clear and explicit on this point, and it is printed in every major language spoken by the vast majority of arriving travelers. There is no excuse.
Note that if you are caught with undeclared items, in addition to a fine, you might have your CBP record flagged, and as a result you could face automatic referral for secondary searches on every future entry to the United States for a period of time...