Dangerous chocolates and books?
 

I just bought some chocolates at the TLV Duty Free shop and was told that they have to be put in a sealed bag because I am flying to the States. In fact, EVERYTHING they sell has to be in sealed bags!

It is a new requirement from the US, they told me, and applies to all airlines going there, including El Al (I am flying on Delta).

This was on top of me getting the dreaded SSSS -- for the first time ever in Israel. Here though, they simply brought me to another counter, took my boarding card and passports (US and Israeli), asked me how many bags I had checked, walked away for about 3 minutes and returned the boarding card/passports and wished me a nice flight.

Has this sealed bag stuff (for non-liquids) been happening in other countries or is it special for Israel?

Only one datapoint, but two days ago, DL AMS-MSP, bought chocolates at a non-duty free shop and carried on board with no questions, no issues, no special packaging.

Doesn't make sense that it would apply only to items purchased (like chocolates) at duty free and not to items purchased at other airport shops.

Just came back from LIM on 12/5 with a ton of chocolate. There were no restrictions about packaging at all.

I'm assuming they let you carry on the sealed bag, so it wasn't to prevent you from getting to them. I'm going to guess it's so that they don't hassle you over the stuff, suggesting they cleared the items in the store or something.

The chocolates contain any liquid or gel-like fillings even before the hardened chocolate/casing melts? Earlier this month I flew to the US and there was no stink about the chocolate bar I purchased from the newsstand airside. I usually avoid the duty-free stores unless at an airport where I have vouchers to use to pay in full the list price of an item which I would otherwise still purchase elsewhere.

Note: TSOs on the board, please don´t get ideas from this regarding limiting chocolate.

I never understood why we are limited in our amounts of liquids we can take aboard, but are allowed unlimited amounts of things such as chocolate. The argument that TSO present ("we don´t know what it is and it could be an explosive") would be pertinent to chocolate bars too.

Sorry, am I trying to apply logic to TSA rules??

Having said that, I suspect the duty free stores seal everything to avoid trouble with the very fuzzy definition of what is liquid enforced by the TSA.

Maybe, but I would like to hear about books - the OP lists books in his title, as well as chocolate, and that's certainly not a 'liquids' issue.

After making that post I spoke with a manager who explained that until now, no liquids were allowed to be bought in the TLV Duty Free and taken on board. He said that the TSA agreed to allow it under condition that everything sold there for US-bound flights was sealed.

The one exception is cigarettes.

We now know that cigarettes cannot be hazardous. :D

I never understood why we are limited in our amounts of liquids we can take aboard, but are allowed unlimited amounts of things such as chocolate. The argument that TSO present ("we don´t know what it is and it could be an explosive") would be pertinent to chocolate bars too.

Well, chocolate at room temperature is a solid. If they prohibited solids it would have
the unfortunate consequence of prohibiting clothes, paper
and ..well...people on board the plane. I'm sure they considered it, since
it would add an extra level of annoyance to our airport travel, but not it's not really feasible.

The logic escapes me. Oh, wait, it is the TSA....

Once the chocolates are safely inside a sealed pouch, they cannot be used for nefarious purposes. Hope that helps!

Now all we have to do is worry about the guy who buys his chocolates at the supermarket and brings them to the airport. He is allowed to do so. He is also allowed to carry them onto the plane. I can't believe that people are permitted to do such horrible things!

I have to confess, however, that I violated the TSA's rules. It clearly states on the sealed bag that I am NOT allowed to open it on the plane and, should I be connecting in the US, I must transfer it to my checked luggage.

The problem is that I bought 5 boxes of chocolates to give to the crew as holiday gifts and I couldn't figure out how to divide them without opening the sealed bag -- so I did. Clearly, I was putting international aviation at great risk by this reckless act.

People are actually mostly liquid/gel.

I would never have thought limiting liquids was feasible (much less reasonable). Don´t underestimate TSA´s ability to implement the ridiculous.

Great. Now the ne'er-do-wells know that all they have to do is remove international chocolate from a sealed bag and deliver it to a crewmember under the guise of a gift and boooom, just like that, the whole crew suddenly essplodes.....with happiness.

Actually people are mostly liquid. Please don't attempt to bring logic into the Argument. ;)