Another statement from CBP.gov online:
Food Products (Prepared)
You may bring bakery items and certain cheeses into the United States. The APHIS Web site features a Travelers Tips section and Game and Hunting Trophies section that offers extensive information about bringing food and other products into the U.S. Many prepared foods are admissible. However, bush meat made from African wildlife and almost anything containing meat products, such as bouillon, soup mixes, etc., is not admissible. As a general rule, condiments, vinegars, oils, packaged spices, honey, coffee and tea are admissible. Because rice can often harbor insects, it is best to avoid bringing it into the United States. Some imported foods are also subject to requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Thank you. I pulled the info up and called
DCL directly and asked about bringing a wedding cake off. DCL reservations called the ship and the ship said no. Sorry if they catch you theyll tell you to throw it away. I pulled up the CBP site and told them what it says (found a newer version) and DCL is still saying no. Im printing this, and taking it with me.
Heres the latest version updated from May 2010:
Travelers bringing food into the U.S. for personal use
Published 01/23/2003 06:35 PM | Updated 05/21/2010 11:05 AM
Can I bring in food as a traveler (fruit, cheese, meat, etc)?
(The information contained in this answer does not apply to food being sent to the U.S. through the mail, courier services or other means.)
Many fruits and vegetables are either prohibited from entering the United States or require an import permit (for commercial importers) or a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin. Every fruit or vegetable must be declared to a CBP Officer and must be presented for inspection - no matter how free of pests it appears to be.
Failure to declare food products can result in a $10,000 fine. See special guidelines for produce from Canada below.
Meats, livestock, poultry, and their products are either prohibited or restricted from entering the United States, depending on the animal disease condition in the country of origin. Fresh meat is generally prohibited from most countries. Canned, cured, or dried meat is severely restricted from some countries. See special guidelines for animal products from Canada below, and our Q&A on meat, poultry and pork/swine products for a more complete discussion of food items from those sources.
Bakery items, candy, chocolate, and cured cheese are generally admissible. Canned goods and goods in vacuum packed jars (other than those containing meat or poultry products) are also generally admissible if being imported for personal use.
Dairy items such as milk, yogurt, and butter are generally admissible, although this is subject to change, depending on disease outbreaks. Eggs may be admissible, although frequent outbreaks of Exotic Newcastles Disease and avian flu make it very likely that they will be denied entry. Hard cured cheese such as parmesan or cheddar are generally admissible, soft cheeses such as soft curd cheese and cheese in water (ricotta, feta, etc.) are not. Brie cheese can be admissible if it does not contain meat.
Cooked and raw poultry is permitted from Canada except from the province of Saskatchewan. However, to bring poultry products from any province in Canada into the United States, you must have proof of the origin of the poultry. For example, proof of origin would be the grocery stores receipt where the product was purchased, or the label on the product indicates the province in which it was packaged
Fish, if it is for your personal use, is generally admissible.
Condiments such as oil, vinegar, mustard, catsup, pickles, syrup, honey, jelly, jam, etc., are generally admissible.
Fruits and vegetables grown in Canada are generally admissible, if they have labels identifying them as products of Canada. Fruits and vegetables merely purchased in Canada are not necessarily admissible, ie: citrus or tropical fruits such as mangos, which clearly were not grown in Canada because it does not have a climate that supports those crops. (Potatoes from western regions of Canada are currently restricted because of a disease outbreak. While commercial imports are permitted under stringent guidelines, travelers from Canada should avoid bringing raw potatoes with them into the US).
The Department of Agriculture has recently relaxed rules for travelers arriving from Canada with food products involving some meat products. Beef and game products are now allowed entry. This includes frozen, cooked, canned or otherwise processed beef, veal, venison, elk, bison, etc. Hunter harvested game, including deer, moose, wild sheep, goats and bison is admissible from Canada for the traveler's personal use if accompanied with a hunting license, tag or equivalent permit. Meat products from domestic lamb, sheep and goats are still prohibited entry from Canada. For more information regarding importing meat products into the U.S., please see the APHIS Animal Product Manual.
Pork and pork products are not admissible from Mexico.
Effective January 14, 2010, cooked pork skins entering as commercial cargo or personal importation from countries/regions affected with certain exotic animal diseases must be accompanied by an original certificate issued by an official of the National Government/region of origin.
Powder drinks must be sealed in original containers with ingredients listed in English. However, admissibility is still under the discretion of the Agricultural Specialist.
Other then the above general guidelines, it is impossible to advise you in this forum about the admissibility of specific food items because it is so susceptible to change. Disease and pest outbreaks, which impact the admissibility status of fresh and packaged food items, occur all over the world at a moments notice.
Failure to declare all food products can result in civil penalties.
Because CBP Officers are stationed at ports of entry and along our land and sea borders, they are often called upon to enforce laws and requirements of other government agencies. Because of the complexities of regulations governing the importation of food, CBP Officers may need to contact an expert for information about what is or is not admissible. If no expert is available, food may be detained in the interest of preventing possible food-borne diseases into the U.S. This is done to protect community health, preserve domestic plant and animal lives, etc.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) establishes criteria for the admissibility of plant, dairy and meat products returning with travelers and they have the final say about what may be admitted into the U.S. For more detailed information, visit the USDA Web site .
