What food can we take across the border?

[Bea]

We are driving from Ottawa to Orlando next week . We will have a plug in cooler in the car and was wondering what food is not permissable to bring into the US ? Is there a list or a website I can check? We don't want to be held up at the border and definately won't bring anything we aren't allowed to bring in. The types of food I wanted to have in the cooler are cheese, milk, apple juice, grapes, and water.

 

[digskat]

i'd like to know what I can bring back. I'd like to hit the grocery store on the way home.

 

[bavaria]

No fruits, veggies, or meat products officially. I have seen people pulled aside to toss those items when driving.

For Nexus drive - only the amount of food one can eat for one snack or meal

For Nexus fly - zero food tolerance ie not even mints for the plane

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/prohibited_restricted.xml#MeatsLivestockandPoultry

 

[Bea]

Thanks Bavaria! Just the information I was looking for.

 

[Subrbnmommy]

What do you mean by Nexus??

 

[bavaria]

the frequent traveller program for US/Canadian border crossings.

 

[Subrbnmommy]

the frequent traveller program for US/Canadian border crossings.

thanks for the info!

 

[coastgirl]

We are very careful going down (esp on the fruit thing, have been grilled on that so often), but not so much coming back...my SIL in St Stephen NB used to buy groceries in the US then bring them home (with a full tank of gas...). Has that changed?

 

[bavaria]

http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/E/pub/cp/rc4044/rc4044-e.html#P019

Canada Border Services info

 

[kg66]

We just got back last week from WDW and we too drove down. We crossed at the Windsor/Detroit Bridge. I called ahead of time and questioned the fruit and veggie issue. I was told: "It has to be in the original bag/plastic wrap and it must say Product of Ontario". We could bring apples and cukes and that's about it.Grapes were from Chile and I forget where all the carrots were from. No beef(mad cow scare still going on), this also includes Hot dogs, bologna, salami, pepperoni, etc. No uncooked chicken, or eggs(I guess this part applies if you're bringing a camper over).
Good luck!

 

[LindaM]

A friend of mine went down at the end of January, and brought some premade food that they could heat up after a day of skiing, and they took all the premade food with meat in it and customs threw it out. I know you can't bring fruit, veggies and raw meat...but I guess ALL meat is out.

 

[bavaria]

I once took a bus across the border (NEVER again....) and one woman had a Subway sandwich with meat salad. She wanted to keep the sandwich so they made her remove the meat salad, lettuce, and tomatos (leaving her with only the bread - I suspect that it was a budget issue for her)

 

[nosnobunny2006]

The last time we drove, they even confiscated a brand new expensive bag of dry dog food I buy at the vet's. Apparently it had dried chicken in it. I had to make a quick detour to a grocery store for more dog food. I don't know if any of you have dogs but the last thing you want to do is mess with their food.

Beth

 

[robsawatsky]

The problem isn't what is and isn't allowed, the problem is that if you have any suspect food and the agent decides to have it all inspected by the agriculture agent - a big waste of time.

My advice, bring no fresh fruit or vegetables, no meat of any kind. Better advice, nothing except processed/packaged food and if it needs to be in a cooler (other than canned/bottled pop/juice) leave it too.

 

[Amberle3]

I was specifically told that the only produce allowed was bananas, because the US doesn't grow bananas. Many years ago there was a problem in California (can't remember the year or the crop) where someone brought 1 single infected piece of produce into the country and it ended up costing many millions of dollars fighting an infection that spread throughout the the state. Even a discarded seed or peel from an infected item can cause big problems.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

We used to bring a cooler lunch across the border with us every trip.

Now it's so restrictive that we just pack drinks and snack food (popcorn, jujubes, mini flavoured rice cakes) and buy what we want while travelling.

I won't drive down with nothing (one time there was an accident at the border and we were stopped for 4 hours) but it's not worth the hassle to bring sandwiches or veggies or fruit across.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Actually, you're allowed to bring poultry (raw or cooked) to the United States. No lamb, beef or veal. Vegetables from Canada are *generally* allowed but why risk it...you'll have to have labels on it to prove it was grown here.

There is another US government site that goes into detail about what can and cannot be taken across as a traveller.

What food can I bring into the U.S. (fruit, cheese, meat, etc)?

The key to crossing the border with food is to make sure you declare it...even if it's an allowed food. They'll appreciate it more if you let them know you have it than if they tear your car apart and find it...again...even if it's something you're allowed.

 

[Disneyof3]

My dad is a truck driver and his company drives to the states on a regular basis. He gave me the sheet that the drivers get so they have a lunch that will not be taken at the border and this is it. We leave in 4 days and he thought this would be good for us:

Allowed meats and meat byproducts:
Pork,chicken,eggs,dairy products,fish or seafood products (tuna,salmon etc)
Prohibited meats:
Beef
Allowed fruits and vegtables:
preserved and processed fruits and vegetables that are commercially packaged, canadian fruits and vegetables (in season only), fruits and vegetables with US labeling (eg: Sunkist,red delicious,chiquita and dole etc dried nuts,condiments,
Prohibited fruits and vegetables:
Citrus fruitsnon canadian and non US labels, oranges,grapefruit,limes tangerines), tropical fruits: avocodoes,litchis,longans,loquats,mangoes,plums, pummelos etc:, spices non canadian and non US origin

I also know they still have to have the stickers on them too to get across the border.

Good luck