Out of my last three weekly trips through DCA, the first one I had carry-on, the other two times I checked my duffel bag. In all three cases I had two protein bars in original wrappers in the duffel bag.

The first time (with carry-on) the bag got pulled for hand inspection, with one TSA guy calling back to the X-Ray operator, "It's just some energy bars." The last two trips (with checked bags), I got home and found the friendly "Your bag has been opened by TSA" slips inside.

I'm not sure what's changed, as those same two energy bars have been sitting in that bag since at least February, if not longer. The other contents are identical too (workboots, a roll of painter's tape, punchlist binders and a change of clothes in case I have to stay overnight).

So I think the answer is, "Yes", but be prepared for someone to want to look at it. YMMV.

(In the early 90s my grandfather set off the metal detector at Shannon with the foil wrapper to some Kit-Kats which he had stashed in his eyeglasses case to hide from my grandmother. The whole family--and some of the Irish security people--burst out laughing when my grandmother then started yelling at him for having candy he wasn't supposed to.)

Nuyawkr