TSA and food

[MommyBryn]

I'm a little conflicted on what to do for food...I have 5 little ones and unfortunately we have pretty short layovers going down and coming back, so I have to pack something decent for the kids to eat on the "long" flight (DEN>MCO and back) because we may very well not have time to grab food before we hop on the next plane. I'm not concerned about the security at our home airport, it's always pretty quiet there and it's just less of a concern (plus I haven't heard of anyone having their food swabbed or anything locally). But from MCO on the way back it sounds like it'll be a bigger problem. I have a variety of small foods (all solid) for us in my carryon but am a little concerned about the stories I'm hearing of all food having to be out and very possibly swabbed.

Not exactly sure what I'm asking here, maybe advice or experiences? If I could get away without it I'd gladly just rely on airport food but I don't want hungry crabby little kids on the long flight so I'm trying to make do the best I can!

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

On the way home from Orlando in November, we had some packaged snacks, all purchased with our excessive snack credits. I put them in a separate bin (I had all food in one plastic bag to make this easier). I think some of the packages had been opened already, by us. Our food was not pulled aside for further checking.

I would think they'd be less concerned about food in original packaging, but I did read the horror stories about the candy at Halloween.

Whatever you decide, I do recommend having your food all together so that you can separate it easily. I actually carry-on a grocery store reusable bag when flying with my kids because we can put food, sweatshirts, bottled water, etc in it. That's where I had the plastic bag of food in MCO in November.

 

[bumbershoot]

As far as I know, and I've been wrong before, the swabbing is of the containers. Not the actual food. (although tsa in Seattle did want a teensy bit of a powdered supplement I was carrying, but they let me pour it out).

I've never had food looked at. Then again I rarely travel with it. We tend to buy food on the planes (we like the tapas style boxes and/or cheese platters on United, Delta, and Alaska), or at the airport (mmm, bagel sandwiches). Food on travel days is budgeted for just like the rest of the trip.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

We always travel with packaged snacks like granola bars and small boxes or raisins. We carry them in a separate plastic bag so that if we do have to show it while going through TSA it's easy to find all of it at once. We have yet to have to do that (with PreCheck) but I have read accounts on other travel forums of people going through PreCheck and having their snacks examined. I can't imagine why the TSA would need to swab that, but I just try to pack smarter now and have like things together in case there is a situation where somebody needs to look at my snacks, charging cables, books, etc.

 

[Elle23]

When we flew out of MCO on December 21st, they did nothing with the food. We didn’t even have to separate it or even acknowledge we had any. It was quite strange. We didn’t even have to take off our shoes or anything. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[NYCgrrl]

We ordered a Twilight meal from room service at Poly to take home. The shopping bag it was in was pulled to the side for additional checking after going through the "x-ray" machine. The TS agent opened it up after putting disposable gloves on and then swabbed it using a disposable thingie. The thought/action didn't bother me anymore than the humans who touched our food before it reached us.

 

[PSUGuy]

We've taken 12 inch hoagies through security to eat at the gate and later in the parks.

Bill From PA

 

[disneyag]

We have flown through MCO numerous times (including November 2017) and ALWAYS have food with us. Never a problem.