It turns out that the folks at the Transportation Security Administration in the U.S. have a great sense of humour.
With the holiday crush looming for U.S. Thanksgiving, the TSA social media team has posted some do’s and dont’s for holiday travel. Specifically, they’ve outlined what is considered a solid Thanksgiving meal item you can take on board the plane, and what’s a liquid (and therefore not allowed, unless it’s the right size).
As well as clogging arteries, Thanksgiving can clog American airports. To keep things running smoothly at security checkpoints over the next few days, the TSA has announced which holiday foods travellers are allowed to take with them on the plane.
Coming from afar won’t squelch peoples’ desire to bring their famous pumpkin pie or classic yams and marshmallows along for the ride to share with family and friends, so TSA has made it simple with some “food for thought.”
“If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint,” TSA said in a press release. “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.”
Gravy’s great, but the TSA folks say you can’t take a large container of it on a plane, even at Thanksgiving.. Streets of Food/Unsplash Photo
These carry-on Thanksgiving foods are good to go:
- Baked goods: Yes, that includes pumpkin pie
- Meat: Frozen, cooked or otherwise, all meat is allowed, but please remember to package correctly.
- Stuffing in all forms
- Casseroles: Midwesterners, rejoice!
- Mac ‘n Cheese: Fully cooked or not
- Fresh vegetables
- Fresh fruit
- Candy: But do keep this in your carry-on, as otherwise, you may be asked to share
- Spices
Food items allowed to be taken through security should still be placed in a plastic bag to make TSA screeners’ jobs easier, especially since food often needs additional security screening.
Thanksgiving foods that need to be placed in checked baggage:
- Cranberry sauce
- Gravy
- Wine, champagne, sparkling apple cider
- Canned fruit or vegetables
- Preserves, jams and jellies
- Maple syrup
- Anything else that has liquid or could be considered “spreadable”
