The scene: Luton Airport London (more or less London)
The time: 12 noon, 8th December
The cast: A kindly safety inspector, a hapless flyer

I watched while a very polite inspector pulled out of one man's hand luggage: four jars of Nutella, and two large plastic bottles of shampoo.

Inspector: These will have to stay here, sir.
Flyer (obviously an Eastern European, probably Russian): ??? What??? What??
Inspector: They can't go past security, sir. I will have to throw them out.
Flyer: Nuuuu. Is for children. (Pulls out wallet and shows pictures of three children).
Inspector: I am sorry, sir, but they will have to stay here.
Flyer: Nuuu. Is for children!!!

This went on for some time. The useful intelligence wasn't that the flyer had a total of about 4 litres of prohibited items, but that Nutella is officially a liquid!

Tell that to the makers, it might get them some sort of tax break.

This happened in the UK? Figures

emphasis mine: i'd say this is the perfect time to say, "think of the chillun"

yup, brought to you by the united kingdom of liquid paranoia (with of course, no disrespect meant or intended to to my uk f/t'er friends )

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it could have been rendered magically safe by spreading it on 2 slices of bread

Yes, that is problems in U.K. Next time he should have to put the large liquid to placed into the checked bags and not go through at security checkpoint.

Might have been a classmate of the UK screener who confiscated spaghetti noodles because they are a liquid.

Yes, I know, but have no answer when it comes to screeners.

We had a sealed jar of almond butter confiscated in FRA during the summer of 2008. Sounds like this security officer was of the same mind. Funny how the almond butter got through TSA in SFO without any issues on that same trip.

I don't see anything problems in SFO at all. You didn't have any common problems from TSA. I wasn't aware about any specific problems from TSA policy. You won't necessary to carry the jars into the checkpoint. Next time you should have to put the large jars into the checked bags.

Notice how when you spread Nutella with a knife on bread and the Nutella gets wiped all over the bread and the metal from the knife doesn't? That is because the knife is metal and is a solid at room temperature. Nutella is not a solid and thus the rules apply. I'm not sure how this is really threadworthy.

Here in New Zealand, we are told" "If you can pour it or smear it, it must follow the regulation for liquids."

Hence, Nutella (and toothpaste) would both be classified for security purposes as being liquids.

Too bad that some metals are capable of being smeared at room temperatures. Does that make them liquids?

We're told the same thing over here as well. IMHO the security apparatus does this only to make its job easier.

You can pour sand. Does that make it a liquid?
Canned pie filling is a liquid but pie is not, per TSA.

The truth is that the TSA never provided a good definition to what is considered a liquid. They also decided to prohibit a whole state of matter without any solid justification for it.

I was once stopped at a check point and made to give up my tin of talcum powder, "because you can pour it." So I guess some over-conscientious agent could call sand a liquid - guess it depends which side of the bed he/ she got out of that morning!

I already know that lipstick, lip balm, and mascara are all "liquids" and have to go into that little plastic bag for inspection.

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Yes the rules are actually spelled out:

http://www.heathrowairport.com/asset...cant_aug07.pdf

Allowed items - unrestricted
• Sandwiches.
• Crisps.
• Fruit.
• Vegetables.
• Wedding cake.
• Other solid foods.

Allowed items - Need to be in containers 100ml or less, and go into your one transparent, re-sealable bag.

• Jams and syrups.
• Soups.
• Stews.
• Sauces.
• Pastes.
• Foods in sauces or dishes with a high liquid content.
• Yoghurts or fruit juices.


I think you will struggle to find a Nutella jar that is 100ml or less, but if the children need it so badly, the Nutella can be checked in, with no issues.