Can I bring food from home through the security checkpoints?

[tchrrx]

We will be arriving at our home ariport around 6 am & landing at MCO around 1 pm. We have a very short layover, so I hate to depend on having time to grab food then. Would it be ok to pack sandwiches, chips, etc. (no drinks) in our carry-on? What is the best way to do this? Thanks!

 

[bavaria]

sure, so long as it's not liquid or gel. Mayo on a sandwich is fine, mayo in a packet is not. Jam on a sandwich is fine, jam in a jar or packet is not. Every so often one reads about overzealous TSA agents taking non-gel/non-liquid food, but I wouldn't worry.

Some here will suggest that you not bring peanut butter. I suggest not bringing smelly items onto an airplane.

 

[tchrrx]

Thank you! I'll probably attempt to run to a gas station that morning and grab some of the pre-packaged sandwiches. I never even thought about the mayo & stuff in packages being a problem. I probably would have grabbed some to take. Thanks for making me aware! And...I will be certain not to take p.b. (I know a lot of people have peanut allergies) or anything 'stinky!'

 

[calgarygary]

On behalf of the other passengers - please no beans.

 

[bavaria]

and just to point out (I don't think that it applies to you) it is not ok to bring food internationally. Some food items like fruit can't be brought across borders. And some travellers (like me) can't bring ANY food if part of the Nexus program (not even mints for the plane, officially)

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Actually, they've relaxed the rules a little bit from what it was in late summer. You can now bring small amounts of liquids and gels, so long as they're packaged correctly. You can have up to 3 ounces bottles (a travel size bottle) of things like sunscreen, hand lotion, toothpaste, etc. All of these items need to easily fit into a single quart-size ziplock bag. This bag must be out and placed in one of the bins when you go through security.

So, if you want a packet of mayo, just put it in your ziplock.

http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/bag_poster.pdf

 

[mamacatnv]

sure, so long as it's not liquid or gel. Mayo on a sandwich is fine, mayo in a packet is not. Jam on a sandwich is fine, jam in a jar or packet is not. Every so often one reads about overzealous TSA agents taking non-gel/non-liquid food, but I wouldn't worry.

Some here will suggest that you not bring peanut butter. I suggest not bringing smelly items onto an airplane.

We took a small carry on soft sided cooler full of turkey and roast beef sandwiches I made the night before without mayo or mustard along with cheese slices and string cheese.

I bought some mayo/mustard packets and placed them into my 1 qt. bag that I showed to security and I could bring them on with no issues. I could not find a mayo bottle that was 3 oz.

You can use a bag of frozen peas to keep it all cold - this was a great tip I got from a fellow dis'er.

 

[tchrrx]

Does the liquid/gel rule apply to each piece of carry-on luggage? For example, can my DD, DH, and myself each carry on a zip-lock size bag of liquids if we each have our own carry-on suitcase? I'd like to have one baggie of shampoo & stuff in our carry-on suitcase and then another baggie of the mayo or whatever in our backpack.

 

[mickeywho?]

Does the liquid/gel rule apply to each piece of carry-on luggage? For example, can my DD, DH, and myself each carry on a zip-lock size bag of liquids if we each have our own carry-on suitcase? I'd like to have one baggie of shampoo & stuff in our carry-on suitcase and then another baggie of the mayo or whatever in our backpack.

Actually it's one per passenger. So if you have only one carry-on bag have your dh and dd hold on to their ziplocs as they are going through security and have yours ready to come out of the carry-on if asked. And you will be asked!

 

[NotUrsula]

If you are travelling as a family group and one person is wrangling the carryons, it is OK to have that one person put the rest of the family's 3-1-1 baggies in a single bin -- the trick is to write one passenger's name on each baggie. That alerts TSA to the fact that even though there are several bags, each one belongs to a different person. I do this all the time when travelling with family, and I never have a problem.