Sep 6, 2018, 11:23 am
Last edit by: seawolf
Global Entry kiosks typically ask a yes/no question about whether you are bringing "food" into the country. The question is broader than on the deprecated blue form that asked about fruits, vegetables, meats, etc.
CBP answers the question of whether you must declare all "food" on its website:
CBP expects declaration to be made even if not asked by kiosk or explicitly asked by CBP officer
Yes, all food items and products must be declared when entering the U.S.
You may be able to bring in food such as fruits, meats or other agricultural products depending on the region or country from which you are traveling.
General consensus is that the best practice is to declare any "food", include candies, cookies, snacks, etc. and then inform the CBP agent about your food. Experience has been that in nearly all cases the agent will wave you through with extremely minimal delay. As explained elsewhere, the primary focus of the question is to prevent importation of fruits, vegetable, and meats that could cause harm to the American food supply, but it is safest to allow the CBP agent to make the determination.
There is some debate as to whether items one can ingest for non-nutritive reasons (e.g., gum, toothpaste, medicine) should qualify as food. There does not appear to be an answer from CBP or experience showing the proper categorization of such items.
CBP answers the question of whether you must declare all "food" on its website:
CBP expects declaration to be made even if not asked by kiosk or explicitly asked by CBP officer
Link to TTP Interview guidance letter - Thanks hourglass
Must I declare food items or products when using the Global entry kiosk?
Yes, all food items and products must be declared when entering the U.S.You may be able to bring in food such as fruits, meats or other agricultural products depending on the region or country from which you are traveling.
There is some debate as to whether items one can ingest for non-nutritive reasons (e.g., gum, toothpaste, medicine) should qualify as food. There does not appear to be an answer from CBP or experience showing the proper categorization of such items.
Global Entry Kiosks Declarations and Food Questions
Aug 19, 2018, 4:14 pm
#811
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I haven't traveled internationally much the last months and haven't declared anything since they changed the immigration/customs process in SFO. When I came back from a trip in June they took my global entry receipt rather than handing it to the second customs persons when walking out.
Aug 19, 2018, 4:19 pm
#812
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And most CBPs understand this and wave you on through. But you catch that one guy who got served divorce papers this morning and who has absolutely no constraints on his anger driven whims, and you give him even the most innocuous reason to take his frustrations out on you and you end up getting anything from a fine and GE revocation <redacted>.
Last edited by TWA884; Aug 19, 2018 at 4:44 pm Reason: Commentary/opinion better left for the Checkpoints and Borders Policy Debate forum and/or OMNI/PR
Aug 19, 2018, 4:23 pm
#813
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We just encountered this yesterday - As the questionnaire on the global entry kiosk just asks about food, we said yes even though our only food was jam and some cookies. We presented the slip to the officer told him what food we had and he waved us on our merry way.
However, at times we have returned to SFO, the agents have told us it was silly to say we had food for things like this. But we never want to take that chance.
However, at times we have returned to SFO, the agents have told us it was silly to say we had food for things like this. But we never want to take that chance.
Aug 20, 2018, 7:07 am
#814
Join Date: Oct 2016
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Process at SFO seems to have changed. Arrived yesterday from TPE and the officer collecting the GE printout slip (which will be annotated with O if you indicate food) was stationed at the CBP booth line, just after the GE kiosks. Normally the officer collecting the slip is stationed past the baggage caruosels right before the ag xrays. I indicated food (the usual duty free cookies and such) and was waved on. No ag xray this time.
Aug 20, 2018, 8:38 am
#815
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Process at SFO seems to have changed. Arrived yesterday from TPE and the officer collecting the GE printout slip (which will be annotated with O if you indicate food) was stationed at the CBP booth line, just after the GE kiosks. Normally the officer collecting the slip is stationed past the baggage caruosels right before the ag xrays. I indicated food (the usual duty free cookies and such) and was waved on. No ag xray this time.
Aug 20, 2018, 12:03 pm
#816
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At some airports - e.g. MCO, CBP officers tell you to take a picture and you are done, eliminating passport/fingerprint scans and on-screen questions.
Aug 20, 2018, 12:47 pm
#817
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No one will have their GE revoked for over-declaring anything, that's really ridiculous - but they WILL have their GE revoked for not declaring food no matter how trivial the food actually is.
Aug 20, 2018, 1:03 pm
#818
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And I would rather fight a GE revocation for over sharing food item information
And I would rather fight a GE revocation for over sharing food item information - If I lose GE for not declaring my duty free cookies I’ve got no leg to stand on. But if I have it revoked because I provided too much information I think I’d have a legitimate gripe.
Aug 20, 2018, 2:01 pm
#819
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I usually just put "YES" on foods because I tend to bring protein bars, nuts, etc with me during vacation and bring leftover ones back to US. I packed everything in a grocery plastic bag and open it for CBP agent, so far no issue.
I usually just walk to normal GE slip collection points (JFK, IAD, EWR is my primary arrival destination) with plastic bag. Sure it's little annoying to declare something that I BUY in USA but prefer be safe than sorry since I valued GE/TSA Pre big time.
I usually just walk to normal GE slip collection points (JFK, IAD, EWR is my primary arrival destination) with plastic bag. Sure it's little annoying to declare something that I BUY in USA but prefer be safe than sorry since I valued GE/TSA Pre big time.
Aug 20, 2018, 2:06 pm
#820
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Coming through PHL last month with chocolate and a lot of wine (over the limit on that), I checked yes on the food box. There was no one in secondary and they waved me on through when I didn't have clothes, watches, etc, while the regular customs line was backed up with no separate line for GE, so secondary was faster than not declaring it.
Aug 20, 2018, 11:42 pm
#821
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If you're GE, always answer yes. It takes two minutes more to tell the secondary agent about the chewing gum or breath mints or chocolate chip cookie you didn't eat on the plane. Even if they scan your bag, it takes less than five minutes total.
The general answer I have gotten from CBP agents is if you can put in your mouth, consider it "food."
The general answer I have gotten from CBP agents is if you can put in your mouth, consider it "food."
Aug 21, 2018, 12:05 pm
#822
Join Date: Nov 2010
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The CBP officer's definition of food does leave open to interpretation all kinds of items that would generally not be considered food.
My take on food would be something you can put in your mouth, ingest and has some sort of nutritional value. Maybe CBP ought to have a formal definition of food - that particular officer's interpretation makes several items that we would not typically consider food to be food.
My take on food would be something you can put in your mouth, ingest and has some sort of nutritional value. Maybe CBP ought to have a formal definition of food - that particular officer's interpretation makes several items that we would not typically consider food to be food.
Aug 21, 2018, 12:15 pm
#823
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You know that toothpaste ain't food, so does CBP.
Aug 21, 2018, 3:25 pm
#824
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That's just being argumentative. I used a simplified, general definition, instead of some legalistic, "what the definition of is is" one. Is that what you want? 3 paragraphs on the screen to satisfy your definitional demands? 3 paragraphs that could change without notice, so every time you go through you've got to read it word for word? More pertinently, that every traveler in front of you gets to spend an extra 5 minutes reading it? Might as well just get in the regular line.
You know that toothpaste ain't food, so does CBP.
You know that toothpaste ain't food, so does CBP.
You're just saying food is food.
Aug 21, 2018, 5:31 pm
#825
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That's just being argumentative. I used a simplified, general definition, instead of some legalistic, "what the definition of is is" one. Is that what you want? 3 paragraphs on the screen to satisfy your definitional demands? 3 paragraphs that could change without notice, so every time you go through you've got to read it word for word? More pertinently, that every traveler in front of you gets to spend an extra 5 minutes reading it? Might as well just get in the regular line.
You know that toothpaste ain't food, so does CBP.
You know that toothpaste ain't food, so does CBP.