Bringing food accross border into the USA

[canadaman]

When my family drives to WDW next month we want to bring some stuff along in the car to eat and drink. I understand you can't bring meat and fruit and stuff like that. My question is can you bring stuff like cookies and cereal bars and bottled water?? That is what i want to be able to bring along. Will any of that be an issue at the border??

Thanks

 

[Kurby]

dh said the same thing but i'm not so sure they mean driving.

every time we've crossed the boarder we've had a cooler full of stuff from juice and milk to sandwiches, coffee, snacks etc. and have never been asked if we're bringing food across. is this a new thing? we went over only last month and were only asked what we were doing and how long were we going to stay.

plus i've never seen a motor home stopped and made to remove all their food.

we had a motorhome when we were kids and if todays motorhome owners are anything like we were they'll have their fridge, freezer and cupboards full of food before they take off on a vacation south.

 

[canadianmom2three]

We live on the border, and without fail, anytime we have divulged that we are going on an extended (ie. not just shopping) drive they have asked if we are bringing across any food. In particular meat and fruit/veggies - there are large signs atop most of the lanes at our boarder crossing saying the same. We have been questioned as to exactly what is in our cooler, and they have looked. We have had to empty our entire vehicle so they could look when DH answered some of their questions in a less than polite manner. They took everything out of our cooler that time. We only ever take prepackaged snack type foods, water, juice boxes etc. and those are fine. What the op is talking about like cereal bars etc is fine, it is fresh fruits and veggies and meats that are the only problem (well, alcohol, tobacco and guns too but we don't pack those either )

 

[Kurby]

you gotta love that "eh" (had to sorry) we import a lot of fruites and veggies from the states but they don't want us bringing them back LOL we must get the cast offs

as for guns - my my - whatever happened to the right to bare arms?? guess that only applies to those semi automatic sawed off hunting guns "eh"

 

[striker3636]

Here's where you go to check:

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs...3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1

It is always up to date. I know some who will print this out to prove an item is ok, especially if it is an item that has previously been banned, if they anticipate issues at the border.

 

[striker3636]

We have never had a problem, and we camp across the border several times a year. However, we have had family members get dog food, frozen chicken, and meat sandwiches removed. So, we prefer to be safe than sorry. Many people of course go over all the time and aren't even asked...

 

[Kurby]

by the looks of that report most general things you'd pack in a cooler for the long drive down seems to be ok unless of course you are a deer or goat eater.

Here's where you go to check:

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs...3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1

It is always up to date. I know some who will print this out to prove an item is ok, especially if it is an item that has previously been banned, if they anticipate issues at the border.

 

[canadaman]

Thank you guys.

 

[canadianmommyof2]

When my family drives to WDW next month we want to bring some stuff along in the car to eat and drink. I understand you can't bring meat and fruit and stuff like that. My question is can you bring stuff like cookies and cereal bars and bottled water?? That is what i want to be able to bring along. Will any of that be an issue at the border??

Thanks

We just crossed the border at Montana, we drove to California and they only asked us about meat and fruit and drugs and guns and money over 10,000. I think you will be ok, our car was packed full of water, energy drinks, coke zero, juice boxes, cookies, nuts, and various other treats...lets just say we didn't want to stop much during our 30 hour drive.

I have heard though that they may not allow cheese, so that is another one you should consider not to bring. Have fun on your trip

 

[petbren]

We have never had a problem, and we camp across the border several times a year. However, we have had family members get dog food, frozen chicken, and meat sandwiches removed. So, we prefer to be safe than sorry. Many people of course go over all the time and aren't even asked...

Dog food removed?
We will be crossing for a trip to Michigan with a new puppy, who of coarse has to have specific dog food that I wouldn't even begin to know where to buy in Detroit. It is dry food, perhaps it will be OK. I will only tell about it if asked.
Also, anyone know if I will get any trouble crossing with a puppy?
I don't think so, but DH is curious.

 

[disneyjanet]

Dog food removed?
We will be crossing for a trip to Michigan with a new puppy, who of coarse has to have specific dog food that I wouldn't even begin to know where to buy in Detroit. It is dry food, perhaps it will be OK. I will only tell about it if asked.
Also, anyone know if I will get any trouble crossing with a puppy?
I don't think so, but DH is curious.

I'm a Canadian currently living in the USA who used to travel with my dog cross border regularly before I got married and moved here. I believe that the only thing required to bring your dog across is proof of rabies vaccination at least 30 days before crossing. I personally was never asked for it. I also think you are ok with dry food but that raw or canned might be a problem. Again I was personally never asked about food either.

As a funny story I used to also bus across frequently before I got my dog and I remeber one day when they were hasseling everybody about food and had agricultural inspectors going through everyones luggage and confiscating things like lettuce on a sandwich. A man and his son went through with 2 large cases with the deer and elk engraved on the outside. I heard the inspector inquire about what was in the cases to which the reply was "guns of course" and they were immediatlely waved right through.

Janet

 

[cslittle999]

you gotta love that "eh" (had to sorry) we import a lot of fruites and veggies from the states but they don't want us bringing them back LOL we must get the cast offs

If the fruit is in the original packaging and has a country of original sticker you can bring fruit into the US if the fruit is from the US or a country that the US deems safe.

The fruit/vegetable bans started because foreign fruit/vegetables is a source of fly eggs (on the skin). There are a number of well documented cases of large scale crop destruction prior to an aggressive ban being in place.

 

[tgropp]

One of the last times we crossed at Sarnia, they were checking for food and it was probally the only time that my wife had taken summer sausage, grapes, cheese and biscuits along. Since the summer sausage had no content label, they presumed it was pork. Gone. The grapes had no label and the border guard said that they may have come from Chile. Gone. He was very nice and apolegetic and gave us a pamphlet on what was acceptable to bring over. My wife was so mad and I kept on laughing and telling her that the poor person was just doing his job. No beef can go across but I think that pork is acceptable

 

[SandraC]

We flew to NC and back this week and I took food on the plane, there and back, without a problem.

I had; cereal bars, pop tarts, cereal in a baggy, candy, gum [of course], bananas.

S

 

[rjan67]

Dog food needs to be in the original container or bag. It was more of a problem when Canadian beef was banned.

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs...nNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1