Help regarding medicines and spices
 

Hello forum,
This is my first post and it will be my first time flying abroad, so pardon me for my lack of knowledge about TSA rules and regulations and checkpoint experience. I would like to know if I can carry medicinal supplies for 8 months? (since I am flying to Canada for attending college). It isn't much just 3-4 strips of basic medication I require (have a prescription for it). The problem is that I was wondering if I could carry cough syrup too, in my carry-on or checked baggage. Is it advisable to carry the cough syrup? Secondly, I would be making my own meals in Canada and I would be taking along homemade spices. So what sort of a container should I use for it? since I would be putting them in my checked baggage. I have a transparent plastic containers with tight lids, would that do the trick?

Welcome to FlyerTalk! :)

I don't normally travel with any prescription medications, but the few times I did it never came under any scrutiny at a checkpoint to the sterile area, or while transiting customs. I do always have an unmarked bottle with ~6 or so different kinds of supplements, no problem there either. Enjoy your dry spices as well, the same container you buy them in should be fine for travel, seems like most come in plastic containers. I have some schwarzer pfeffer brought back from Europe that I use all the time.

What kind of cough syrup do you plan on taking?

Thank you for the reply. So you carry these medications in your carry-on baggage and keep it aside in a resealable plastic bag or something? Well the cough syrup I'm going to carry is called Bricarex A. Well there's the issue that it's not a spice that has been bought from a store, my mum made it at home and I've packed it in a transparent tupperware sort of a container. Would that be okay? Appreciate your help

Pills and such (dry medications) can be carried about anywhere. If they're prescription, make sure they're in your carry-on.

Cough syrup is a tougher challenge. You may end up arguing with the TSA over the quantity you can carry on board. They're supposed to let you carry it on, provided you declare it in advance that you have >3 ounces, but some of the screeners will want to limit you to the amount that you can use in-flight. If it's prescription, then you can arguably carry more, but be prepared to have to check it. Personally, I'd put the bottles in a zip lock so they don't get all over your clothes if you have to put it in a checked bag.

As for the spices, if the TSA thinks they're illegal drugs, you can anticipate that they will call in law-enforcement. Likewise the Canadian Customs agents. That's especially true if you carry them in an unmarked container.

Well that sounds terrifying, time for having Indian food without the Indian spices :( Thank you for the advice

Prescription medicines should be carried in your carry-on, as others have mentioned

As far as spices go, you can put them in a ziplock bag or a small plastic container. I travel with spices this way all the time and have never had any problem. I often travel with spices that the average American hasn't heard of (the latest was sumac), and still no problem. But as a backup plan, ask your mom for the recipe for her spice mixture so you can make your own - I hear they have spices in Canada :D .

I am putting them in a small plastic container. So what's your verdict on the spices should I put them in or not? I don't want to end up being detained and getting my anus examined for drugs :/

I think spices getting mistaken for drugs is being overblown. A TSA screener might see a container of dried oregano, think they made a Big Catch™, and summon a LEO, as TSA employees have no authority to detain anyone. The LEO will arrive, determine what is really in the container, and probably give the screener :rolleyes: for wasting their time.

In short, LEOs and customs agents know what drugs are. TSA employees do not.

We've kicked around the idea of intentionally placing a baggie of oregano to make an example of a screener. :D I love to cook versus eating out, so if I'm traveling somewhere where I'll have a kitchen or grill available, I'll pack my own spices. It's really not that uncommon if you consider that someone going to spend a week in a condo somewhere will not want to go to the trouble and expense of stocking up at their destination when they have what is needed at home. Also, I like to mix my own blends using freeze dried spices which are harder to find and expensive, and I can also reduce the salt content of a recipe.

So if I do carry them will I get into any sorts of trouble or delay?

Not sure about Canada, but I can tell you my experience here in the US.

I go to India at least twice a year and I get back a ton of spices from India. I mostly enter the US either at ORD or JFK. I have the spices in unmarked jars or packets and I do check in the customs declaration form that I have food items in my checked luggage. My bags are screened and I am let go without any issues.

Only once there was a long queue for the baggage screening. So the office informed me that as long as I did not have curry leaves or any natural fruit or vegetables, I can pass through.

I have family in Toronto and they too buy spices from India and it is in their checked luggage. They are also not asked a lot of questions upon arrival in Canada.

On a side note - where in Canada are you flying to? Toronto has a huge Indian population and you can get all the spices there too. Is it really Indian food without the spices? :)

Well your experience sounds very comfortable to carry these spices. I would be traveling to Kitchener, via Pearson International Airport Toronto. I was aware that there are many places in Toronto where I could buy these spices but I'm not sure if they would be available in Kitchener and these spices are made by my mum so they have their peculiar Indian taste :) and yes I agree we can call it just food without the spices lol. Anyways so should I give it a go and carry these spices, would it be alright?

I would put the spices in the checked-in luggage. Since you'll be clearing customs at Toronto, I don't think you'll have an issue. Especially that Toronto sees a lot of flights from South Asia and most of them do carry spices in their luggage.

Totally agree with you! Mom's home-made spices are any day way better than the ones you get in the store. Being away from home makes you appreciate those even more :) Waiting for my trip back to India in Dec to stock up on the spices.

We had no issues carrying spices back from Morocco in our checked bags. They did happen to be labeled, though.

Just pack everything in the check-in bag and you'll be OK.

Spices do count as food. Take your chances on whether or not you check the box off on the customs form. I'm part of NEXUS (trusted traveller) so personally I would check it off. I doubt the customs guys @ YYZ would give you a tough time. They would just want to make sure you haven't hidden cocaine in Mom's spices, but they'll know and understand the difference!

Your cough medicine sounds to me (a layman) like it's an expectorant. (If Google is correct in that Bicarex A = Ambroxol Hydrochloride.) This is Canada. Especially in wintertime we have lots of expecorants and various cold remedies available over the counter (no prescription required). Or you can visit a doc here and get a prescription for something a little more potent. Once you're here you may want to pick up a bottle of Cold FX. It's expensive but it really works wonders.

Kitchener is not far from YYZ. Lots of people drive back & forth every day. There's commuter service (bus) available. So if you run out of anything, it's easy enough to schedule a day trip in to YYZ to buy whatever. Kitchener, like much of Canada is a pretty ethnic place though. You'll likely be able to find a fair amount of stuff in normal grocery stores and smaller boutique shops.

And since you'll be here, suggest you keep an eye on the Air Canada forum which is where we tend to announce our Dos.

Welcome! ^

Thank you everyone for your kind help, I will carry the spices in my checked baggage. Would update my experience with the TSA, I hope it won't be that bad. Cheers