# New TSA Carryon Requirement - 3oz of Food or Less! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 10, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980 "2008-09-10T19:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/1 "2008-09-10T19:35:22Z")
TSA has implemented [a 3oz policy on some foods](http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#10) that you can bring through security: [ul] [li]Beverages brought from home or purchased before reaching the security checkpoint in **a 3 oz. or smaller container and in your quart-size, zip-top plastic bag.** (Emphasis TSA.)[/li][li]Canned or jarred goods such as soup, sauces, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables and jellies.[/li][li]Cheese in pressurized containers.[/li][li]Gel based sports supplements.[/li][li]Jell-O’s.[/li][li]Pudding.[/li][li]Whipped cream.[/li][/ul] However, you can bring aboard in your carryon, unlimited quantities of MREs: [ul] [li]Flameless Ration Heater (FRH) - A product most commonly found in MRE’s, used to heat food packages. There is no limit on the number of MREs an individual may possess in checked or carry-on baggage, but the MRE(s) containing FRH(s) must be unopened (original factory seal is unbroken)[/li][/ul] I guess this means for the upcoming fall holiday travel season you’ll have to check those Hickory Farms gift boxes or ship them by some other means. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/2 "2008-09-10T19:53:07Z")
That has “help the profits of the poor struggling airport food vendors” written all over it. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/3 "2008-09-10T20:02:32Z")
Nah, just pack that Jell-o mold in your checked luggage. That’s what I do. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/4 "2008-09-10T20:03:42Z")
I keep reading this as **New TSA Carrion Requirement** which, I see after reading the OP, really isn’t that much of a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/5 "2008-09-10T20:14:06Z")
I don’t see that the quoted section restricts fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, crackers, instant noodles, instant soups, tortillas, loaves of bread, cheese (as opposed to “cheez”), cereal, dried fruits, dried vegetables, jerky, smoked fish, or cookies. Everything listed could be construed as a fluid, “gel” or “gel-like substance” so this appears to be an elaboration of the “no fluids over 3 oz.” policy. Other than the giant jar of cranberry “mustard” and perhaps a large processed-to-goo “cheese” of some sort, your Hickory Farms snack box appears to be good to go. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/6 "2008-09-10T20:33:14Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I don’t see that the quoted section restricts fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, crackers, instant noodles, instant soups, tortillas, loaves of bread, cheese (as opposed to “cheez”), cereal, dried fruits, dried vegetables, jerky, smoked fish, or cookies. Everything listed could be construed as a fluid, “gel” or “gel-like substance” so this appears to be an elaboration of the “no fluids over 3 oz.” policy. Other than the giant jar of cranberry “mustard” and perhaps a large processed-to-goo “cheese” of some sort, your Hickory Farms snack box appears to be good to go. I agree, I don’t think they’re restricting food, just clarifying what the policy is on liquid-y and gelled foods. The restrictions look like they did the last time I flew, which was a couple months ago. At that time, I had no problems bringing food I brought from home. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/7 "2008-09-10T20:36:57Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [li]Cheese in pressurized containers.[/li] Only in America. I have a German friend who had to bring one of these back to Germany to the shock, horror and disbelief of his friends. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/8 "2008-09-10T20:50:43Z")
> [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > Only in America. I have a German friend who had to bring one of these back to Germany to the shock, horror and disbelief of his friends. See, the TSA is just saving us from ourselves! ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/9 "2008-09-10T21:07:00Z")
I always want to bring one of those three pound bags of peanuts and share them with everyone. BUT NOT THE STEWARDESSES! No peanuts for you! ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/10 "2008-09-10T21:13:50Z")
MREs. What a great idea for carry-on food. I’ll have to remember that for my next really long trip. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/11 "2008-09-10T22:04:26Z")
Soon the only passengers will be flightless birds and air marshals. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/12 "2008-09-11T00:24:25Z")
If they’re restricting food in general it must be news to the TSA agents at the two airoports I flew out of in the past week. I had ziploc bags of assorted snacks in my carryon on both legs of the trip and nothing was said about it. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/13 "2008-09-11T01:08:23Z")
This pisses me off because _now_ I’ll have to hide my explosives in MRE containers! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/14 "2008-09-11T02:40:07Z")
You’re allowed to bring fresh fruit on a plane? I can verify that peaches are dangerous, having broken a few teeth in peach eating accidents. We need to give peaches to the terrorists, then sit back and laugh while they howl in dental agony. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/15 "2008-09-11T02:46:12Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > …in your quart-size, zip-top plastic bag. (Emphasis TSA.) Well, yeah. Because if you use a _pint_-size, zip-top plastic bag, then the terrorists will have won. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-tsa-carryon-requirement-3oz-of-food-or-less/462980/16 "2008-09-11T03:29:27Z")
I once had a security guy point out to me that my zip-top plastic bag wasn’t quart-size (it was sandwich-size). He didn’t make me throw it away, however; he actually allowed me to take it (and its contents) aboard the airplane!