Find Out What Thanksgiving Foods You Can Bring on a Plane
In a telebriefing last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned against traveling to visit relatives and friends this Thanksgiving and holiday season. For those who do decide to travel during the holidays, CDC recommends doing so “as safely as possible.” That includes wearing a mask while in public, maintaining social distancing and washing hands often with soap and water.
But if you are traveling for Thanksgiving you should be aware of restrictions when it comes to food or dishes that you can bring aboard a commercial flight. Before you agree to bring along your specialty to the Thanksgiving holiday table, it’s important to think about how you’re planning to transport it if you are flying to spend the holiday with family or friends.
Most foods can be carried through a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint, but there are some items that will need to be transported in checked baggage. If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint. 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. Food items often need some additional security screening, so TSA recommends placing those items in a clear plastic bag or other container when packing them at home and then removing those items from your carry-on bag and placing them in a bin for screening at the checkpoint.
If you are not sure how to transport a food item, the TSA homepage has a helpful “What can I bring?” feature. Type in the item and find out if you can carry it through a checkpoint or if it should be checked. Another option is for passengers to tweet to @AskTSA to ask how best to travel with a specific food item.
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