The TSA Guidance To Know For Bringing Fruits And Vegetables On Your Flight

Everyone knows that the best way to avoid those pesky price hikes on airport snacks is to bring your own, but as you pack your adult version of Lunchables, you might question what is and is not okay to pack for the flight. While a bag of chips or a handful of cookies seems acceptable, what about a banana and some peanut butter? Or a sliced apple? Is TSA going to dig through your bag and issue a fine for that Ziploc bag filled with leftover Caesar salad? The answer is no, you're not going to be penalized for bringing a bag of grapes or chopped bell peppers on a national flight. 

As long as you're flying within the continental United States, you're free to bring solid food items in both your carry-on and checked luggage (and here's the TSA guidance to know for bringing fresh eggs on your flight, too). You can also bring any dried fruits, jams/jellies, or canned fruits and vegetables on the flight, though it must follow TSA's guidelines and remain beneath 3.4 ounces to be carried on. Even though Hawaii is one of the 50 states, and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are technically American territories, passengers cannot bring back most fruits and vegetables from these locations to the U.S. mainland.

The general rule of thumb is that you cannot bring any fruits or vegetables back into the United States from other countries, whether fresh, dried, or home-canned — though there's a very short list of exceptions. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), passengers are allowed to bring dried beans, dates, figs, and nuts (barring chestnuts or acorns), okra, peas, raisins, and those unique Szechuan peppercorns into the United States, but all items must be declared to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. By law, any fruits and vegetables must be declared, even if the items are eventually taken away. The difference is that, if declared, the prohibited items will be taken away with no penalty. If undeclared, the passenger may face penalties.

While the laws may seem strict, it's with good reason. Uninspected food items have the potential to harbor dangerous pests and diseases that could destroy American crops. A great example of this is the Mediterranean fruit fly, which most likely made its way into the U.S. on undeclared fruits in the 1970s. The introduced insect ended up nearly obliterating agriculture in California during the '80s, and is still a recurring issue today (here's an easy way to get rid of fruit flies in your house). This problem can occur in the opposite direction, too, where undeclared American fruits and vegetables might harbor pests or diseases that accidentally damage foreign ecosystems. So, if you're traveling abroad from the U.S. mainland, leave the fruits and vegetables behind.