Turkeys, casseroles and an array of side dishes will likely board planes along with the millions of passengers expected to fly this Thanksgiving holiday.
But can you board a plane with a glazed ham? What about a sweet potato casserole?
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While most foods can be carried through airport checkpoints, some need to be checked into baggage.
“If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint,” the Transportation Security Administration officials said in a 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.”
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If a dish needs to be kept cold during a flight, officials say ice packs are permissible but must be frozen solid when going through security checkpoints.
Here’s a complete list of Thanksgiving dishes that can fly with travelers as carry-ons and dished that should be safely stored in checked luggage.
Thanksgiving foods that can be carried through TSA checkpoints
- Baked goods. Homemade or store-bought pies, cakes, cookies, brownies and other sweet treats
- Meats. Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked or uncooked
- Stuffing. Cooked, uncooked, in a box or in a bag
- Casseroles. Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic
- Mac ‘n Cheese. Cooked in a pan or traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination
- Fresh vegetables. Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, squash, greens
- Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, pineapple, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, kiwi
- Candy
- Spices
Thanksgiving foods that should be carefully packed with your checked baggage
- Cranberry sauce. Homemade or canned are spreadable, so check them
- Gravy. Homemade or in a jar/can
- Wine, champagne, sparking apple cider
- Canned fruit or vegetables. It’s got liquid in the can, so check them
- Preserves, jams and jellies. They are spreadable, so best to check them
- Maple syrup
To see if dishes not listed can fly, be checked or neither, travelers can check the TSA’s “What can I bring?” tool, or inquire with @AskTSA on Facebook Messenger or X, formerly known as Twitter.
Click here for more FDA tips and guidelines for traveling safely with food this holiday season.
