ORLANDO, Fla. – Are you packing for Christmas and wondering whether you can travel with Grandma’s special recipe cookies? TSA says you can.
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The Transportation Security Administration issued a statement Monday, reminding holiday travelers that you can travel with your holiday food, but some things can go in carry-on luggage and some things need to be checked.
The rule of thumb, according to TSA, is this: if it’s a solid item, it can go through a checkpoint as a carry-on. That includes holiday meats (you can put the ham in carry-on), fruitcake, cookies, cake, pies, candy, fruit and nut baskets, spices and other solid holiday goodies.
“However, if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it should go in a checked bag,” TSA said in a release.
That includes wine, champagne or other alcohol, egg nog or coquito, sauces, syrups, jams and jellies.
This goes for gifts too — if it contains a liquid and is larger than 3.4 ounces, like a large snow globe for instance, it needs to go in checked luggage. Same for any gift bottles; such as beauty products, kids’ bubbles, or anything else that’s a liquid.
If you’re traveling with gifts, TSA also suggested not wrapping them and use gift bags or boxes instead. This way if the gift triggers an alarm, TSA workers won’t have to unwrap the gift to check it.
Have more questions? TSA has a special section on what you can bring on a plane. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture also has tips for handling food while traveling.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: