NEW food TSA rules coming soon. Sometimes already in effect in Orlando.

[china mom]

It was late September at MCO. I was bringing home my F&W Festival cookbook.

Your articles were interesting but what I learned most from them is that even TSA doesn't know what TSA is doing.

 

[katyj26]

When we came home from our trip in late September I was the only one of my group who went through the normal tsa line. The other 2 had tsa pre. We had heard about them swabbing all the candy from mnsshp for someone so we consciously put all our candy in the bags with the tsa pre people. I was made to take the few food items I did have out along with a book and put them in a bin separately. They were telling everyone to get any food, books and electronics bigger than a cell phone out and put in a bin. The agent I had said this was a new policy that was only at certain large airports currently but will be all over soon. Meanwhile my tsa pre friends didn't have to get anything out and breezed through in less than half the time it took me.

 

[eagleoneoh]

we were at Disney in September. Thought it was weird the Guy at TSA was making everybody unpack there backpacks electronics in one tub books and magazines in another tub and food products in another tub. We went to mickeys not so scary so i had about 14 pounds of candy for them test. Buy the time it was all said and done my back pack was empty when it went through the scanner. I asked several friends that flew down to Disney and back after us and they didn't have to do any of this

 

[a4matte]

Wondering this too. Can't find an official TSA announcement. Thinking maybe some airports just weren't enforcing current policy?

All food is supposed to undergo x-ray screening. They have a handy food guide online too.

I am planning on checking a bag of food/drinks in December. We don't usually bring food in carry ons, but it's possible. I have pre-check, so I'll let you know if no one else does!

We looked all through the TSA website on the plane after going through TSA and having the agent tell us it's clearly on there. It is NOT. The mention of food on there is that you CAN take it on and it MIGHT be subject to more screening. Nothing about having to remove it all and have it all examined.

 

[a4matte]

Can you provide more specifics? What kind of food had to be examined piece by piece? Was it wrapped food? Bagged? All the same thing? How much?

They told us anything and everything. Granola bars, candy, cough drops, etc. Even some lady had to pull her gum out and put it in a tray.
We left behind a bunch of Mickey rice crispy treats, a big bag of M&M'S, and some other random candies and popcorn. They told us it was taking so long because they had to examine everything.

 

[a4matte]

I found this article from May 2017 that says the reason for the changes regarding what needs to be scanned separately has to do with people trying to fit so much into their carry on bags that the TSA Agents aren't able to accurately identify items via the X-Ray scan: https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/24/...urity-xray-lines-bag-check-items-remove-worse.

This is the one article we could find, and it's about this happening with travelers to/from Hawaii.
The agent did tell us that it was because bags were just getting too cluttered and they couldn't see in the X-Rays. I'm fine with having to pull it out and scanned separately. But checking EVERY piece of candy (he used the phrase "catalogue it")? C'mon. You're just making stuff up to justify a job at that point.

 

[eagleoneoh]

They told us anything and everything. Granola bars, candy, cough drops, etc. Even some lady had to pull her gum out and put it in a tray.
We left behind a bunch of Mickey rice crispy treats, a big bag of M&M'S, and some other random candies and popcorn. They told us it was taking so long because they had to examine everything.

they examined all food each piece of candy was tested

 

[adelaster]

They told us anything and everything. Granola bars, candy, cough drops, etc. Even some lady had to pull her gum out and put it in a tray.
We left behind a bunch of Mickey rice crispy treats, a big bag of M&M'S, and some other random candies and popcorn. They told us it was taking so long because they had to examine everything.

they examined all food each piece of candy was tested

That sounds awful, so sorry! Did you follow-up with TSA? I really don't understand something so drastic without warning or explanation.

 

[dreiwhit]

Just another reason why i've decided to no longer fly.

 

[jennamfeo]

I flew last weekend from Las Vegas to Detroit and in LV they were saying to take out all electronics larger than a cell phone. Well, I was flying to photograph a wedding so I had my camera gear with me. I took my laptop out like I usually do and put it in a bin, but I was not going to take out my cameras and lenses. So I didn't. And they didn't say anything to me.

 

[Micca]

Just another reason why i've decided to no longer fly.

Much as I hate long car trips I'm beginning to consider the no-fly option.

 

[dreiwhit]

Much as I hate long car trips I'm beginning to consider the no-fly option.

I hate long car trips myself. I have early onset osteoarthritis, so I can only drive for two hours at a time before being in pain.

We typically break up trips into two travel days, spending the night at a hotel. With frequent stops to allow me to get out, walk around and stretch.

I'll also take the train if it goes near my destination.

 

[StarGirl11]

Okay I get electronics. I had a security lady at Heathrow a couple of years back politely explain that items beyond a certain thickness make it impossible to read on the X Ray (we had to rescan my backpack because of my iPad). Food yeah no I don't get that.

Also wondering about impact on TSA Pre since I have that. Well it be like with electronics where they say we don't need to take it out or what?

 

[adear11]

There's a part of me that wonders if TSA isn't intentionally making this as onerous as possible to push more people to do Precheck. Granted I haven't flown since late July, but these new procedures don't seem to affect folks going through the TSA Precheck line. The last time I went through the Precheck line, I didn't have to take anything out of my checked bag or my laptop case. they just scanned both bags and I was on my way.

My wife and I have TSA Pre. We went through the line at MSY on our way to WDW with our two kids back in April. My daughter had packed one of her babydolls in her backpack. This particular doll is one of those that is intended to be filled with water. Of course, the TSA agent flagged it and had to search her bag. We were terrified that they were going to try to confiscate the doll because it had way more water in it than is allowed. However, the agent, seeing the distressed look on my daughter's face, just had us empty the water out of it and let us go through. I have zero doubt in my mind that had we not been in the Precheck line, they absolutely would have confiscated her doll.

 

[Texans_loyal]

what. a. headache.

 

[Cirlonde]

So...in the back of my mind I can't help but wonder if the TSA agents have decided this is a nice way to gather up a lot of free candy for Halloween. Especially at MCO, with so many people come back through after MNSSHP!

 

[LeeAndRobin]

Next time I fly, I will be taking 10,000 pieces of small, individually wrapped candy in my carryon. Have fun, TSA!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

They told us anything and everything. Granola bars, candy, cough drops, etc. Even some lady had to pull her gum out and put it in a tray.
We left behind a bunch of Mickey rice crispy treats, a big bag of M&M'S, and some other random candies and popcorn. They told us it was taking so long because they had to examine everything.

Sounds like the TSA agents were hungry and were trying to think up a way to get some free food.

 

[ShadeDK]

The agent I had said this was a new policy that was only at certain large airports currently but will be all over soon.

Interesting. I fly out of Dulles and Reagan National often - and I use the latter as the bellwether for all airport security since it's a stone's throw from the Capitol (after 9/11, it was standard for them to threaten to divert if anyone so much as stood up in the cabin within 50 miles of the airport). I haven't seen those airports implement this (maybe they have, but I'm not aware of it with any of my recent flights).

they examined all food each piece of candy was tested

I had a mental image of a security screener, in latex gloves, carefully opening each wrapper, intensely staring at the candy, taking a nibble, and putting it back in the wrapper to pass the test. Then I had the mental image of bringing a Whitman's Sampler with me to mess around with them.

There's a part of me that wonders if TSA isn't intentionally making this as onerous as possible to push more people to do Precheck.

That's possible. Precheck puts money in TSA's pocket since there's a fee. Here's another possibility (which I admit is too "tinfoil hat"): if implementation of these security procedures is airport specific, those decisions would likely be made by the airport authority that manages the airport. MCO is operated by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, which in turn is managed by a small board - most of whom are political appointees. Even a very quick and dirty Google search suggests (not surprisingly) that at least some of those appointees have very close relationships with airport contractors (i.e., security firms) and airlines who just might have an economic interest in such procedures - say, increased payments for enhanced security procedures or baggage fees from travelers who didn't want the hassle of those procedures. Crazy? Probably. Unheard of? Not at all. Possibly just reading too much into what is otherwise inefficient, runaway bureaucracy? Good chance.

 

[DizneyPilot]

TSA=Thousands Standing Around