You’ll Be Fined if You Bring These Foods Into The U.S.

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If you’re traveling from one country to another, you know there are plenty of rules you may need to follow, based on the country you’re entering. You may have to get certain shots before you enter. You may have to get a visa or a visa waiver. Certain foods may also be allowed in one country but not another.

The U.S., like other countries, has its own rules when it comes to bringing in food from another country, and some foods from some places are not allowed. The main reason is the threat of bugs or diseases, not currently here, that could be introduced to the ecosystem. Either could bring disease to plants or animals here.

And it’s not just other countries. Some food items obtained in Hawaii and US territories (i.e. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, etc.) are held to many of the same rules as other countries because they’re not attached to the U.S. mainland. With that, they pose the same risks as bringing certain foods in from another country.

Foods you can’t bring into the continental U.S.:

• Almost all fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables
• Most dried fruits and vegetables
• Coca, barberry, and loose citrus leaves
• Spices made from oranges, lemons, limes, and other citrus leaves and seeds, along with many vegetable and fruit seeds
• Milk and dairy items from countries that have foot-and-mouth disease
• Most poultry, cattle, swine, sheep or goat meat (or meat products from countries affected with certain serious livestock diseases)
• Most eggs or egg products from countries affected with certain serious poultry diseases
• Whole coffee berries

The above list is generalized for most countries. However, there are some exceptions for bringing food from Mexico, Canada and parts of Europe:

Foods you can bring into the U.S. from Mexico

• Most fruits and vegetables are OK. However, stone fruit, apples, mangoes, oranges, guavas, sapote, cherimoya and sweet limes from Mexico require a permit. You can bring avocados from Mexico but they must be peeled, halved, have the seed removed, and stored in liquid or be vacuum-packed; with these caveats, they can be brought in but will be subject to inspection.
• Most meat, poultry, egg, and dairy products are OK. The one exception is pork (unless it’s a small amount that’s been thoroughly cooked).

Foods you can bring into the U.S. from Canada

• Most meat, poultry, egg, and dairy products are OK if they’re for personal use.
• Most fruits and vegetables are also OK, except for allium, bananas, European blackberries, cherries grown in the Ontario province, citrus, papaya, peppers, pineapples, and tomatoes.

Foods you cannot bring into the U.S. from certain parts of Europe:

• Cured hams (prosciutto, Serrano ham, Iberian ham) and salami from areas within France, Germany, Italy and Spain may not be brought into the United States by travelers.

Happily, not all foods are forbidden:

Foods you can bring into the continental U.S.:

• Commercially canned fruits and vegetables
• Dried beans, dates, figs, nuts (note: not chestnuts or acorns), okra, peas, raisins and Szechwan peppercorns
• Commercially-packaged and labeled, cooked, shelf-stable meat and poultry items
• Most seafood
• Roasted and unroasted coffee beans
• Teas, herbal teas, and infusions commercially packaged and ready to be boiled, steeped or microwaved in liquid
• Honey
• Most dried spices (Note: see above for spices that can’t be brought into the U.S.)
• Butter, butter oil, olive oil, and other vegetable oils
• Solid, hard or soft cheeses that don’t contain meat in them
• Liquid milk and powdered or dry milk products, intended for use by infants or very young children, in a reasonable amount
• Products containing powdered or dry milk (i.e. baking mixes, soup mixes, drink mixes) in small quantities
• Commercially-packaged and labeled, cooked, shelf-stable, fully finished milk and dairy items in unopened packages
• Eggshells with egg white and egg yolk removed that are decorated/etched/painted
• Moon cakes that don’t contain meat, egg, or egg yolk unless the eggs appear “thoroughly cooked throughout”
• Ketchup/catsup, mustard, mayonnaise, Marmite (Note from Sharon: yuck), Vegemite (double yuck ;-)), and prepared sauces that don’t contain meat products
• Bread, cookies, crackers, cakes, granola bars, cereal, and other baked and processed products
• Candy and chocolate
• Juices that are commercially packaged
• Flour
• Mushrooms that are fresh, dried, and the above the ground parts that are clean and free of soil
• Aloe (above-ground parts)
• Coconuts that are dry and without husks that haven’t sprouted
• Peeled garlic cloves
• Ginger with clean roots

Heads up that travelers can’t bring back more than 50 pounds of any item.

What do I have to do if I’m bringing these things into the U.S. that are allowed into the country?

Make sure you include any agricultural items when you fill out your Customs Declaration Form. This form provides Customs and Border Protection officials with basic information about who you are and what you are bringing into the United States, such as agricultural and wildlife products.

I brought something into the U.S. I shouldn’t. What should I do?

Amnesty bins can often be found at international checkpoints, including airports and cruise ports. If you realize you have items that aren’t allowed into the country, you can throw them in there and not be fined.

Otherwise, as long as you declare all the agricultural products you are bringing with you, you won’t face any penalties—even if an inspector determines that they cannot enter the country.

Oh, and don’t think you can sneak something into the country that you shouldn’t. USDA-trained dogs will sniff out plants and animal products in luggage and carry-on items that have been on international flights. And remember that non-food items such as driftwood, handicrafts (hats, baskets, etc.) made of plant material, etc., all count as agricultural items.

If you’re caught violating the declaration requirement (from the USDA):

Civil Penalties

Any person who violates the declaration requirement may be assessed a civil administrative penalty of not more than $250.  Any person who knowingly violates the declaration requirement, or knowingly falsely labels a plant or plant product, may be assessed a civil administrative penalty of not more than $10,000.  Furthermore, any plant or plant product imported in violation of the import declaration requirements may be subject to civil forfeiture.

Criminal Penalties

Any person who knowingly violates the declaration requirement or knowingly violates the false labeling prohibitions could be subject to criminal penalties. If the offense involves:

• The importation of plants, fish, or wildlife, or
• The sale or purchase, offer of sale or purchase, or commission of an act with intent to sell or purchase plants, fish, or wildlife with a market value greater than $350, the criminal penalties for an individual are not more than 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. For a corporation the criminal penalties are not more than 5 years of probation and a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Restitution and forfeitures may also be imposed.

If the offense does not involve these factors, the criminal penalties for an individual are not more than 1 year in prison and a fine of $100,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.  For a corporation, the criminal penalties in that circumstance are not more than 2 years of probation and a fine of $200,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.  Restitution and forfeitures may also be imposed.

I still have questions about specific items

The USDA has pages and pages of info regarding specific items. If you still have questions about whether a particular plant or plant products (fruits, vegetables, plant parts, seeds, soil, or souvenirs made from wood or plants) can be brought into the U.S., the USDA recommends contacting them, either by calling their Plant Import Information Line at 877-770-5990 (toll-free) or by emailing plantproducts.permits@aphis.usda.gov.

Feature Image: USDA

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