Is Powder allowed onboard?
 

Just flew from HKG-SFO. During the secondary gate search they took out my nutritional supplement powder from my carryon. Apparently, now we aren't allowed to bring powder onboard.

I can't find this stated on the TSA website. Can someone point me to where this is now banned?

Logic would dictate that a powder that doesn't test positive in the ETD should be allowed, however this is the TSA so logic need not apply.

HKG isn't TSA per se, so I'd imagine it was just a security person misinterpreting the rules.

Or they were malnourished.

You are allowed powders. As someone mentioned below sometimes these powders are test - but not by ETD. If they are test it is a result of what is seen on the x-ray, not a gate search, and TSA uses something other than ETD to conduct that test.

As I understand your post this was not TSA, correct? I do not know why it wasn't allowed.

Poorly written SOPs leaving too much up to whims of the individual doing the screening?

If this wasn't TSA it doesn't really matter how TSAs SOP is wrtten, does it? But why assume this has to do with TSAs SOP, or some sort of interpertation of TSA SOP? Is it possible the entire incident lies with the other agency? Or are we just making assumptions here, the both of us?

I have taken powder (brownie mix, and powdered chocolate) through TSA controlled check points. It had be to checked twice but otherwise TSA had no problem.

However, given you went through Hong Kong which is NOT TSA anything could happen just like the person some months ago who got their duty free liquor taken at a gate check in Hong Kong.

From my understanding, for a foreign airport to screen passengers coming to the US, that airport must have in place procedures approved by TSA. The simplest way of doing so would be to use the same procedures that TSA uses. From reading some of TSA's SOP, they leave a lot of leeway into implementing the screening processes.

I carry a powder on every flight in my carry on. I have never anywhere had a question. I have worried about it, but never a question. Kindles, smartphones, electric toothbrushes all have had queries; powders never, ever.

The only time there was an exception was at LIS when looking through my bag because of my Kindle the agent asked if my powder worked well, because it was labeled in Portuguese and she could understand what it was for. I responded in the affirmative and she said she'd go looking for it in Lisbon. That's it.

But couldn't a foreign airport also have it's own SOP? So I wonder with incomplete info why make the assumption this has to do with TSA?

Two SOPs, one for non US destinations and one approved by TSA for US destinations.

And their own SOP, right? Which could have something to do wih this - or their own poorly trained employees. In fact, as far as we know, or will most likely ever know, this had nothing to do with TSA. But I'm sure some people will blame them no matter what.

My advice to anyone is bring all your powders with you. A very few will have to be test. And then your on your way. ;)

Powders are tested but not by ETD?

Can you say by what means they are tested?

I don't know about overseas, but essentially in Canada, it is the TSA SOP but can be expanded by the Canadian Coutnerpart.

Thank you for pretty much verifying what I thought.^