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
Jan 18, 2018, 7:24 pm
#736
Join Date: Oct 2011
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You certainly are welcome to refer to these manuals in advance if you wish to find out whether a particular food product is generally allowed entry. However, you make not make the determination on your own about the specific items you wish to bring into the country. Rather, it is up to the CBP officers / agricultural specialists you encounter when you declare your items upon arrival in the USA. You MUST declare all food items so that the officers can decide whether to allow them entry.
When I was a kid, before many Indian items were available so easily here, we would bring back lots of spices and foods. It was a ritual to spend time bagging and labeling in English what each thing was. Whether they let it through or tossed it, it made things so much more efficient. Today I find them so much more experienced and knowledgeable.
Last edited by abaheti; Jan 18, 2018 at 7:33 pm
Feb 5, 2018, 9:40 am
#737
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
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Interesting experience at Dallas' GE terminals yesterday: Wife asked concierge with help because her fingerprints were not being read. Concierge was very helpful, including answering "No" to all the questions before my wife could say anything to the contrary. So we arrive at the CPB checkpoint with one "O" (mine) and one "all clear" (hers). Gave the agent my paper with list of our food items, and he just waved us through. 
Feb 6, 2018, 12:23 pm
#738
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
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Interesting experience at Dallas' GE terminals yesterday: Wife asked concierge with help because her fingerprints were not being read. Concierge was very helpful, including answering "No" to all the questions before my wife could say anything to the contrary. So we arrive at the CPB checkpoint with one "O" (mine) and one "all clear" (hers). Gave the agent my paper with list of our food items, and he just waved us through.
Feb 6, 2018, 12:33 pm
#739
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: Continental OnePass
Posts: 856
As an aside, when I return from visiting my parents in the UK I always have chocolate with me, and I always answer yes to the food question and get the big O. Every time, I am asked what the food is, and when I say chocolate they just waive me through (of course, I am now tempting fate and will probably be sent for Ag screening next time).
Feb 7, 2018, 9:59 am
#740
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Feb 7, 2018, 10:30 am
#741
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,125
I can't stress enough how useful I find writing down our food items on paper and handing it to the CPB agent. Helps to do it before jet-lag sets in, so my mind is clear and I minimize forgetting to list something. I suspect that the CPB agents like the efficiency of just looking at a list.
Feb 7, 2018, 10:52 am
#743
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Mar 5, 2018, 9:48 am
#744
Join Date: May 2012
Location: YOW
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Just a warning that this applies to duty-free as well, at least for GE in the US. If you buy any duty free, whether it's a bottle of wine, booze, or candy, you must declare it and not use a GE terminal. Otherwise you are in violation of Nexus/GE membership.
Mar 5, 2018, 5:56 pm
#745
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 264
Where did you hear this? If you aren't over your exemption you do not need to declare it on the GE kiosk, and if you are you can check yes on the GE kiosk and will get an O.
Mar 5, 2018, 6:26 pm
#746
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: DCA - PDX - LAX
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Posts: 762
I think the user is saying that it is considered a food item requiring declaration. But you can still use GE for that
Mar 5, 2018, 7:13 pm
#748
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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No to all option at the bottom. Never a second thought given. Through the kiosk within 15 seconds.
Always carryon only, thus limiting what I can bring back. Almost always a bunch of dirty laundry, my laptop, and some paperwork (if on a work trip).
Always carryon only, thus limiting what I can bring back. Almost always a bunch of dirty laundry, my laptop, and some paperwork (if on a work trip).
Mar 5, 2018, 8:08 pm
#749
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Where did that come from? I've regularly used GE kiosks and checked that I do have food (or fruit, vegetables etc. depending on which wording it used) and that I have more than the duty-free limit. I get a slip with a circle and show it to an agent, who asks me a question or two, sometimes looks at something, and lets me go.
Mar 6, 2018, 12:23 pm
#750
Join Date: May 2012
Location: YOW
Programs: UA*1K, Marriott Titanium (LTP), Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,665
Where did that come from? I've regularly used GE kiosks and checked that I do have food (or fruit, vegetables etc. depending on which wording it used) and that I have more than the duty-free limit. I get a slip with a circle and show it to an agent, who asks me a question or two, sometimes looks at something, and lets me go.
My reference was an agent at EWR (since you still need to go through the booths with children) who told me he would let me off with a verbal warning, but that my bottle of wine was considered a violation; he had told me I could not use GE with duty free, although it seems like it was just him being upset with me.
He was quite clear though, that yes, wine/booze must be declared as "food", or whatever the wording is.
It's the Nexus terminals/line which you cannot use, not GE.
Ironically, in the above case, I was a little flustered by the encounter and forgot to re-check the bottle of wine in my bag for my flight to YOW. Got to TSA pre-check, bag was pulled out, and I sighed and told the agent to toss it. Full bottles of water have had no issues getting through TSA without their noticing, but sadly not that bottle of wine.
