When going through the TSA security area, the goal is to get through as quickly as possible. For frequent flyers, doing everything to get you through quickly eventually becomes like old hat – you know what’s expected of you, and you do it.
But for people who don’t travel as often, or who are going through under circumstances different from what they were used to (like, say, going through with a baby for the first time), it’s an experience with lots of pitfalls. What you wear or even something as simple as, believe it or not, what soap you use could make all the difference in getting through quickly vs. being stopped for secondary screening.
The foods you bring with you
Even something as simple as the foods you bring with you on the plane could get you flagged at TSA. And it doesn’t matter how often you’ve been flying – even these can trip up the most frequent flyer.
Protein powder
You are technically allowed to bring powders in your carry on bag. However since 2018, TSA has limited how much you can bring in your bag. More info here.
Foods in foil wrapping
You’ve been visiting your parents over the holidays and they pack a lunch for you, for you to eat on the flight.
Despite “peanut butter gate” that occurred in 2023 (Remember that? I loved IHG’s response to that whole issue!), thanks to the TSA’s inconsistencies, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is fine (although you might get side eye from people with peanut allergies). But your mom, trying to be good to the planet and using as little plastic as possible, wrapped the sandwich in foil.
THAT can be a problem because the thin sheet of foil blocks what’s inside the layer(s) when it goes through the scanners. So your sandwich has just earned you secondary screening while a TSA officer goes through your bag to see what’s up.
Frozen foods
Frozen foods in and of themselves aren’t a problem. In fact TSA even says that frozen foods count as a solid.
The problem occurs when your frozen food starts to melt, or the items you’re using to keep them cold start to. Before you go through the TSA area, make sure you have discarded any parts of your “frozen” food (or “help to keep them cold” items) that isn’t frozen anymore (if it’s a liquid).
Canned foods
OK, NOBODY should be bringing a can of tuna with them onto a plane, with the intent to eat it mid-flight. That’s just selfish and will cause a big stink.
But canned foods are going to earn you secondary screen for the same reason that your foil wrapped PBJ sandwich did – the scanners can’t see what’s inside the can, so they’re going to want to check it more thoroughly.
Oh, and if you DID have the audacity to bring canned tuna? That’s a double whammy – besides the can itself, your tuna is typically packed in oil or water…either of which would need to be in your 3-1-1 bag.
Bags of coffee
There’s no PJ’s Coffee near you, so when you went to New Orleans, you grabbed a coupla bags of King Cake ground coffee to bring home. Or you’re at Disney, so you get a bag each of Haunted Mansion Foolish Mocha and Mickey & Minnie Be Mine (because if it’s Disney, you buy the hype).
This is precious cargo, so you put the coffee in your carry on, lest your regular luggage get lost. And yep…you get pulled aside for secondary screening. Because just like aluminum foil, coffee (regardless of it’s in bean or ground form) is hard for scanners to see through.
Fresh fruits or vegetables
Most of the time you’re 100% allowed to fly with fresh fruit and vegetables with you. Well, as long as you’re flying domestically.
However passengers flying from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands are not allowed to travel with most fresh fruits and vegetables. This is because of the fear of food-based diseases and/or insects that no one wants to be transferred from those islands to anywhere else. The one obvious exception is approved pineapples from hawaii – those are pre-screens to be free from critters.
The baby twist
You had a baby – congrats! Heads up that you can bring almost any food or liquid for a baby or toddler, in almost any quantity, without worrying about the whole 3-1-1 thing. I mean, kid’s gotta eat, right?
That being said, according to the TSA guidelines, parents traveling with babies or toddlers should inform officers about these items, so they can be checked. Which means, yep, a slight delay for secondary screening.
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2 comments
Now I know why I get pulled aside and bag swabbed every time I bring coffee as a gift in my carryon.
I made the mistake of bringing a box of cake mix, earned me extra screening for several more trips