tanja

Are you also talking about residents?

MSPeconomist

I have no idea what USA residents who aren't USA citizens do at immigration.

Blogndog

I have on several occasions declined to use the machine because I wasn't comfortable being forced to answer a question. Again, the form is completed under penalty of perjury, so it's no non-trivial to have a wrong answer. Just entered the USA from Turkey yesterday carrying, as I always do when I visit Turkey, several boxes of double pistachio Turkish delight. On the food question, I ticked "no" (it's yummy, but definitely not "food"), but then listed it on the back as "sweets".

ft556

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Section 107

@Fedguard: serious questions:

Are vitamins and other supplements (liquid or solid) that are ingested orally considered food?

What about medications that are ingested?

ft556

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Section 107

Yes, Thank you.

Nice having you on the boards!

udidwht

As a frequent traveler to Japan (Shizuoka-Fujieda) this has interested me to the point that I tested customs inspectors once by purchasing noodles in the USA and taking them with me to Japan (with receipt) then purchasing the exact same noodles for the return home trip. I wanted to see what would happen. Upon return I was asked to open by bag/s (Seattle, Wa.) and guess what? I was told that I could not keep the noodles initially. That is until I showed a receipt for the noodles that I purchased in the USA which happened to be the exact same product purchased in Japan. Initially they stated, "Because they contain chicken and/or pork" I called them out on it. There was no difference in the ingredients with respect to the USA purchased which was labeled clearly 'Product from Japan'. When I asked the inspectors to explain this they became very perplexed and offered no rationale explanation or answer.

So if you do purchase 'Instant Ramen' products in Japan push the issue with them. They are 'processed' products and ingredients in them do NOT pose a threat to people and/or animals in the USA. That excuse is utter rubbish. For me purchasing them in Japan is always cheaper than in the USA. They also have a much bigger selection.

Now I no longer travel between Seattle and Japan. I now leave/arrive and arrive from Vancouver BC then drive to Seattle. I have never in the 5+ years thus far been asked to open my bags (airport or border crossing). The same can't be said of Seattle....every arrival I was asked to open my bags. Los Angeles airport was another airport I was never asked to open my bags as well. It's also significantly cheaper to fly outta Vancouver BC than Seattle...nearly half the cost per R/T ticket.

seawolf

udidwht

The product purchased in Japan was the exact same as purchased in USA (label and all). Japan does not import pork from outside it's borders. The product I purchased in the USA was clearly labeled 'Product of Japan' made in Japan meaning it was from the same origin as product purchased in Japan. Processed products are not raw products and are safe from passing any type of disease due to the process it goes thru. The animal product manual is generally referred for those in the business of importing/exporting. Personal consumption is hardly that to any degree.

seawolf

I suggest you review section 2-3-1 titled Clearing Regulated Passenger Baggage of the Animal Product Manual. The guide applies on both commercial importation and passenger baggage (there are some exceptions).

Take moon cake as an example. If passenger buys a box of moon cake in the US containing yolk, takes it out of US and brings it back in to US, CBP will have to crack open one of the moon cake to verify the yolk is cooked properly.

I'm not saying you can't import ramen containing pork/chicken product/soup base from Japan. I'm just saying being able to purchase the item from a grocer in the US does not necessarily make it importable by a traveler without applicable permit (or additional restrictions).

der_saeufer

Japan imported 861 million kg of pork in 2016 to the tune of USD 4.1 billion, from the usual suspects of the US, Canada, Denmark, Mexico, etc. (UN Comtrade data)

Soup mix or ramen with pork ingredients from Japan is allowed in passenger baggage. Japan currently has no highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks and is classified as negligible BSE risk, so poultry and beef ingredients in soup are also OK as of right now.

The restriction on poultry products is annoying, but it makes sense scientifically--certification is required that the poultry product was cooked to a minimum temperature of 165F. It's possible for viruses to survive spray-drying, so while the risk of introducing avian influenza in soup mix is very low, it's not zero. Obviously the noodles that are also commercially available in the US meet that requirement, but there's no way for CBP to know every brand of ramen on the Japanese market.

chucko

About 6-7 years ago, I declared some packets of dried oxtail soup I was bringing back from Ireland, since it's food. US Customs wound up seizing them because the country of origin of the soup (Switzerland) did not have an agreement in force with the US to prevent transmission of "mad cow" disease, and the bits of oxtail in the soup packets couldn't come in. It's better to just declare it and let the agent sort it out; the transaction took about five minutes (they had to look it up, which is what I'd rather they do than simply guess on the fly).

LAXlocal

I understand flying into the USA that you cannot bring fruits or vegitables or meats ,

But is asked if you have " any food" what is the proper answer if you have some canned food , cookies , spices etc.

I bring back spices sometimes , Ramon noodles with weird spices and cookies to nibble on.

But reading some postings here , I am wondering if I better declare these ( or not buy them) just to be safe if pulled into secondary,

Your thoughts ? Thanks
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Mwenenzi

If it can eaten, it is food.
Far better to declare if in doubt