PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expecting packed planes leading up to the holiday.
Along with the packed planes, many flyers will have suitcases packed with food. A lot of the food can go through security, but there are some types of food items the TSA will not let passengers carry on board.
Things like stuffing and turkey are good to go, but liquids of any kind are not. To get food through the TSA, it has to be solid.
“How do you know if it’s solid? Well if you can spill it spread it, pump it or pour it, it is not solid,” TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. “We see lots of people who are traveling with baked goods, cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, again, whether that’s homemade or store bought. Definitely, you’re allowed to bring that through a checkpoint. Believe it or not, people do travel with meats such as turkey, ham, even steak. So yeah, you can bring that through a checkpoint, and remember, you can bring that back with you for leftovers.”
Sealed liquids, sauces and other spreadable items must go into checked bags. Any canned vegetables with liquid inside, wines, ciders and syrups also cannot go through the security checkpoint. If you do try to bring something like this through security, they will have to check your bags — something you will want to avoid in the midst of this holiday travel season.
“We expect that this will be the busiest travel season on record,” Farbstein said. “We are going to surpass last year’s travel record by about six percent.”
The TSA estimates 18.3 million people will go through their checkpoints nationwide between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2. Farbstein urges travelers to get to the airport early when traveling for the upcoming holiday and to be prepared for packed airports.
If you are not sure if the food item you want to bring is good to take on the plane, the TSA has multiple ways for you to ask. Their myTSA app has a “What can I bring” feature. Travelers can also ask them directly on X or Facebook at @AskTSA. It is also possible to send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).