The TSA has tightened its rules on carrying liquids on board, and liquid foods are no exception. If you plan on travelling with any of the following items, be sure to put them in your checked baggage or ship them to your destination ahead of time.
Prohibited carry-on foods include sauces, dips, spreads, jams, jellies, salad dressing, gravy, syrup, oil, vinegar, salsa and soups.
Food can make great gifts for loved ones back home. To avoid airport hassle, make sure to check or ship any liquid food gifts that fall into the categories above. Also, even if your food gift is airplane-ready (i.e doesn't fall into one of the categories listed in the Liquid Foods section) do not wrap any edible presents you're taking on board. Security officers may unwrap any gifts they feel need to be inspected, so save yourself time and wrapping paper by leaving that Georgia pie in plain sight.
The TSA's food guidelines are tricky, and can get confusing. To make sure you get your gifts home hassle-free, see the Airport Security Q&A in the Resources section for a quick reference and some further clarification.
If you plan on grabbing a meal at the airport, it's important to note the different regulations for food purchased pre- and post-security checkpoint. Open liquids and liquid food purchased pre-security must be discarded when you reach the checkpoint, even if the food was purchased at the airport. All food purchased past the security checkpoint, however, has been pre-screened by the TSA and may be taken on the plane.
TSA allows unopened jars and cans of baby food to be carried on board. Additionally, mothers may bring breast milk through security, as long as they declare it at the checkpoint. Mothers will not be asked to taste the breast milk, as it now falls into the same category as medicine. It may be tested for explosives as security officers see fit.
Guidelines for traveling with alcoholic beverages are similar to those for traveling with other types of liquid. Any amount of alcohol greater than 3 ounces must be checked. You may not check any beverage with an alcohol content that is greater than 70%, but you may check up to five liters in sealed containers, as long as the alcohol content is less than 70%.
