http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2012/08/182_116585.html Bad news was waiting for Park Hwa-young at the end of her 14-hour flight to New York last week. She had to pay $300 in fines at the airport for carrying prohibited food into the U.S. No, it wasn’t a bag of pungent kimchi or a jar of homemade “doenjang” (fermented soybean paste) planted deep inside her luggage. To her surprise, packets of ramen and instant curry were the items that got her in trouble. “I had no idea these weren’t allowed. I was feeling a little nervous about my kimchi and doenjang because they smell, but not the instant packages,” said Park, 33, a first-time offender who had all 20 packs of ramen and curry confiscated. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), only “noodles and ramen that do not have meat or eggs in the spice packets” are admissible. The ramen and instant curry in Park’s luggage all included meat pieces. Read More: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2012/08/182_116585.html
Food especially meat, nuts and spices gets people into most trouble. Beside food, plants incl. leaves seams also trouble spots, plus wood products.
And never forget the Kinder chocolate eggs ... http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/life/10-things-not-bring-your-holiday-396838 Cheers, GenevaFlyer
How could we forget after the recent discussion here? http://milepoint.com/forums/threads...rder-for-having-illegal-chocolate-eggs.40864/
Coming back from my first Asia trip many years ago I had dried galangal, curry paste, and a large supply of kaffir lime leaves among a few other, now forgotten, foodstuffs. The little doggy at the baggage carousel spotted my contents from Candlestick Park and the handler grabbed the lime leaves. The rest was fine. Since I was declaring everything there was no problem and I think it was a CA thing on the lime leaves because she specified they could contain a 'citrus canker'. Bummer too because that bag would have saved me about $100.
And not just in the US. When I was in high school my family did a trip to Australia and New Zealand, and upon entry to New Zealand my dad was fined and the apple in his bag (he had grabbed it on the flight over) was confiscated.
Just don't bring food across any border when flying amongst developed countries. There are too many regs.
Well... Bring the food... but no matter WHAT it is.. declare it! We have some of the toughest Quarantine laws in the world here in Oz... but if you have declared "food" on your arrival card the worst that can happen is that some (or all) of it may be confiscated... Fines are only imposed for failing to declare....
Exactly. I regularly bring foil gras into the US. I just declare it, and mostly get sent to secondary for a quick couple of questions. On my last trip, the customs officer collecting blue forms asked me what I was bringing in, and she happily sent me on my way. So, yes, declare it, and, worst case, it gets confiscated, but you will not get fined. Cheers, GenevaFlyer
Yes...reading that story made me realize I had accidentially violated that one a few times. The thought never would've crossed my mind (nor most people's, I would imagine).
Does that include, say, Cannabis Cookies from Amsterdam? (since you put "food" in quotation marks) And do I have to be precise or is "Cookies" sufficiently descriptive to avoid trouble?
This thread alarms me. I have been carrying live plants and trees from country to country for years with never a problem. I must have been very very lucky that they never confiscated my Japanese curry mixes.
