Hi,

I am travelling to San Francisco in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there are any restrictions on food or drink that can be taken in to the country. i have been advised to take nothing at all, not even sweets! is this cautionary approach neccessary?

thanks

matt

Bringing Food, Plants, and Animals into the USA
» General List of Approved Products


This list covers products from all areas except Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bamboo, dried poles only, no green at all
Beads made of seeds (but not jequirity beans)
Breads, cakes, cookies, and other bakery goods
Candies
Cheeses, hard, fully cured (but not cottage cheeses)
Coconuts (but husks or milk must be removed)
Coffee, roasted beans only
Dried foods, including milled rice, beans, and tea
Fish
Flower bulbs (but not crocosomia, gladiolus, and watsonia bulbs from Africa, Argentina, Brazil, France, Italy, Malta, Mauritius, Portugal, or Uruguay)
Flowers, most fresh or dried kinds (but not with roots), except eucalyptus
Fruits, canned or dried products only
Herbarium plants (but not witchweed)
Herbs, dried, for medicinal use
Mushrooms
Nuts (but not chestnuts or acorns or nuts with outer husks)
Sauces, canned or processed
Seaweed
Seeds (Seeds of flowers and vegetables are generally enterable. Seeds of woody trees and shrubs require a nursery stock permit from PPQ.)
Shamrocks, without roots or soil
Soup and soup mixes (but not those containing meat)
Spices, dried (but not curry leaves)
Straw animals, hats, baskets, and other souvenirs (but not items stuffed with straw)
Vegetables, canned or processed

Matt,

I suggest you take no food or drink into the US at all. Why risk unnecessary delays at US Customs when you can buy all the food and drink you want in the US itself - probably cheaper than you could buy it here in the UK!

Pete

Had no problems at all with customs. We took sweets and drinks with us. I've been advised on previous trips that they are not interested in sweets that are in a sealed wrapper (this includes bags of minatures where the main bag is open but the individual sweets are still wrapped).

THanks for the update... I've never had a problem with individually wrapped treats, but I have been told to throw away fruit when traveling.

www.yourlifepassion.com

I would like to pass on my experience bringing things into the US. Generally, as mentioned, bringing in food in wrappers is not a problem. Meats will almost universally give you problems and will usually be confiscated, particularly if you come from a country which has had cases of mad cow disease or hoof and mouth disease (which means almost all of Europe). If you have visited farms in other countries or will be visiting farms in the US, expect scrutiny. Otherwise, you won't get much trouble. By all means, declare everything you have -- this way they know you're honest. You can bring in unpasturized cheeses and dairy products but you must declare them. You can bring in alcoholic beverages -- over 2 L you may be taxed, although usually if you have an amount small enough that the officer is convinced it's for personal consumption and not resale he won't bother filling out the paper work.

But I haven't had problems as long as I've only brought things people would reasonable bring with them -- leave the illegally hunted rhino meat at home and don't try to transport live tse-tse flies and you shouldn't have problems.

More information than you ever wanted to know is at http://www.cbp.gov/

I have brought in coffee drinks in cans, candy, processed nuts (from the plane) in bags, and cookies and crackers (Oreos and Ritz) without any problem. Even a jar of peanut butter. I was truthful when they asked me what I had, eveything I had came out of packages or bags and was previously cooked or heated (coffee,) they waved me through.

They do stop raw vegetables, meats like smoked sausages, dried fish, home made soups and cooked foods, even raw eggs! They do get a lot of stuff, especially from Asian countries.

With the cost of food at the airport you almost have to bring some cheap snacks with you.

AL

Go cheap - go often!

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