Food Smuggler's Delight
Dear BA Foodist,
What food items can I bring home from a foreign country? Seasoned travelers have advised me never to declare even legal foods, but I want to stop being nervous at customs. What are your thoughts?
Michelle Whitman, Redmond, Washington
Dear Michelle,
We all have a friend who has a friend who knows a guy who got busted with unpasteurized French cheese, had to pay a steep fine, and, worst of all, got his delicious illegal goodies confiscated. Confusion abounds. To get some answers, I e-mailed U.S.. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). They quickly e-mailed back that failing to declare agricultural items (including food) will cost first-time offenders $300. The CBP says the key to avoiding the penalty is to declare all agricultural items, because prohibited foods can "generally be abandoned at the port of entry without consequence." So, what foods are illegal or restricted? That's where, in my opinion, it gets a little unclear.
First of all, don't mess with plants, livestock, fruits, or vegetables.Forget fresh meats, too. Canned, cured, or dried meat is severely restricted. (Sorry, ham lovers.) You can also forget about certain sausage, salami, and other cured deli products, as well as foie gras--but maybe that would be okay, depending on the country of origin and whether it's cooked and in a vacuum-sealed container. For Parma, Iberian, or Serrano hams, some are allowed, with the appropriate health certification from the government of origin. Call the USDA National Center for Import and Export at 301-734-3277 for more info. Dairy items, including milk, yogurt, and butter, are generally admissible, depending on the country of origin.
Hard-cured cheeses without meat generally are approved, but soft ones such as Brie, ricotta, and feta are not. Other things that are usually okay include baked items, candy, chocolate, canned goods, items in vacuum-packed jars, oil, vinegar, mustard, jelly, and jam. Packaged smoked salmon and other fish products generally are permitted, too. The CBP also cautions that just because a foreign duty-free shop sells a certain product doesn't mean it's allowed into the U.S. For more detailed information, you can visit cbp.gov.
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