Taking food/sweets to USA - Customs rules?

jackieblack

dzug1 wrote: »

Um not quite right on detail, but the general drift is there.

Memory not quite what it used to be :D

Nordictat2

sgm6670 wrote: »

I agree about always declaring food. Regarding a previous comment about 'being bought in duty free', that is totally wrong. If you bought a ham sandwich or were given one on the plane, you cannot take this into US (regardless of where it is from) as it is a meat product...the same goes for fruit. Don't attempt to take an apple in that you were given from the plane through, they will get you and possibly fine you if you don't declare it!
DECLARE EVERYTHING!

I was talking about candy in duty free. I have NEVER had a problem bringing in candy etc. that I bought in duty free in Europe and regarding fruit...I don't bother because US has plenty of it and about sandwiches? Why would you want/bring a sandwich (surely without a cooling element) that was just sitting around in your bag for hours on a plane anyways? Yuck. :rolleyes:

N9eav

I always bring things home with me though..... Decent root beer, liquid smoke, some BBQ marinades, Gatoraid, and a few other things.

Not food but I have also brought back a chainsaw and kitchen aid mixer...

Nordictat2

Mmmm Root beer. Love it

A chainsaw and mixer? Hmm makes one wonder what the heck you are making over there, N9eav lol :P

WolfSong2000

Declare it...when I went to the States last time I didn't bother as it was basically chocolate and tea bags, but the items were removed from my suitcase still...quite a few bits actually, most of which they had no right to take. On connecting flight my band new luggage strap also mysteriously disappeared...was not a happy bunny, but culdn't complain as friends were meeting me off the plane and had been waiting a while, so didn't want to delay them any further!

Nordictat2

Clip from a news story I found..

The result is a bit of a regulatory roller coaster.

Fungus routed from the ground by pigs in France? Load up. Basil plant from your grandmother's garden in Italy? Pack it up (just shake off the soil)! Kangaroo jerky from Australia? Bon appetit.

But don't even think about canned corned beef from Dublin or smoky, Spanish chorizo. And foie gras, even cooked and canned? At your peril.

In general, baked goods, candy and chocolate are all fine to bring into the U.S. Condiments — oil, vinegar, mustard, pickles, syrups, honey, jelly — also fine.

Cheese is trickier, with hard varieties such as Parmesan and cheddar allowed, but soft, fresh or runny varieties, such as Brie, burrata and ricotta — big no-nos.
Fruits and vegetables generally are prohibited or require special certificates.
Fresh meat generally is forbidden. No steaks, no chops, no sausage. Unless it comes from New Zealand. Or is a wild bison. From Canada. That you killed yourself (keep your hunting permit with your passport.)

Cured meats — that's your Serrano, Parma and Iberico hams, plus Hungarian salami and other delicacies — are almost always forbidden. Unless they come from particular, preapproved production facilities.


Question 11 on the declarations form asks: "Are you bringing with you: a. fruits, plants, food, or insects? b. meats, animals, or animal/wildlife products? c. disease agents, cell cultures, or snails? d. soil or have you visited a farm/ranch/pasture outside the United States?"
So if your ham/cheese/basil plant/croissant falls into any of those categories, put an "X" by "Yes." And avoid the hassle later.