Rules for processed food in luggage?

I will have three factory-sealed 2-oz packets of jellied candies in my checked bag. Do these items need to be declared on the form you fill out on the plane, and/or inspected upon landing?

No. And no one is going to inspect your bag when you arrive. I may be wrong but it is only the USA and the UK that have forms or landing cards. And doubt Poland would have that as it is in the Schengen Zone. And the USA is trying to phase them out.

Some other countries absolutely do have "landing cards" where you need to list/describe various categories of what you may have brought along. But yes, these tend to be vanishing lately (last time I returned to the US, I was given the card on the inbound flight, and I filled it out, but nobody was collecting them or asked about them on arrival).

To your question: you can cross this off your list of things to worry about. Nobody is going to care (once you have successfully run the TSA gauntlet on departure from the US).

Check what is allowed on their websites. I have brought dried mushrooms in a paper bag from Poland to the USA and honey in a jar. I was surprised they were allowed. Jellied candy in a sealed bag should be a breeze.

Michele, Many countries have restrictions on what you can bring into that country, including food and medications so it's wise to check prior to travelling. It's common for food to be a required disclosure item - packages should show ingredients. In the case that you do have to fill in a landing card, and the form asks if you have "food", you should say "yes" - no matter what type of food it is. If asked by an official, it's easy enough to just say the candy you have is in a factory sealed packet, and then be on your way.

Definitely have your carry-on food in a clear zip-lock bag for easy access and screening. My husband, who has Celiac, carries gluten-free packaged food on all flights and was asked by TSA in Hawaii (January 2018) to put his food in a tray for screening. They also questioned me about the small salt shaker I travel with in my carry-on (it's good for gargling, and for spot remover on stains!), which was a first!

If asked to declare if you have anything to declare, always declare any sort of food. Even if you think it isn't food, if it goes in your mouth it is food.

If you are not asked to declare anything and you walk through the green door you are declaring you have nothing to declare. Walk through the red door and when asked tell them about whatever food you have. They will determine it is not interest and you will go on your way a few moments after walking through the red door.

I wouldn't worry about it. If you're given a form to fill out declare it on the form. It's highly likely that it won't be checked or that you will simply be waived through. We've always declared what food we're bringing into the US although on our recent visit a few weeks ago the border agent wasn't even interested in our form and there were no customs officers either.

There's no point worrying about whether to declare or not. In the highly unlikely scenario that you've declared it and it's been decided that it's not allowed in the country then it will be disposed of and you'll be sent on your way, don't disclose it and you'll likely to be hit with a fine.

Both France an Slovakia are in the EU, so it is EU rules which apply. You (or rather your luggage) will go through customs when you first arrive in the EU, that is when you land in France. There will be no customs between France and Slovakia.
The official rules are here: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/individuals/travelling/entering-eu_en
and here: https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animalproducts/personal_imports_en

In short, meat, meat products, milk and milk products are banned, everything else is allowed.
If you are in any doubt, after you pick up your bags just go through the red "Something to Declare" channel and explain.
The EU does not use landing cards, neither for immigration nor for customs.

NOTE:
1) I am talking about customs (checks on goods) not immigration (passport checks) - two different things.
2) The landing cards the UK uses are for immigration only, not customs. They are only handed out to and only need to be filled out by non-EU/Schengen passengers

Thanks all for your replies. It looks to me that because I have no animal products and because even my personal electronics taken together don't add up to 430 euros, I then have nothing to declare. I.e., if one is not carrying prohibited goods or items that together exceed the value limit, you "go through the green door." Here is another document that covers this topic: http://www.douane.gouv.fr/Portals/0/fichiers/information/publication-douane/langues-etrangeres/trouble-free-travel-with-french-customs.pdf

That's a nice document you found, Michele.

The reason that I thought it worthwhile for you to declare or use the red door is that both dairy and animal products from a 3rd country are banned.

The US for the purposes of French Customs is a third country. Most jelly based sweets that I know of contain both dairy and gelatin, which is an animal product (made from horns, hooves and bones).

You have the packing there - perhaps the ingredients list doesn't list any milk or dairy, or any gelatin - or perhaps it notes that the product is vegan.

Like above, my philosophy - knowing how strict border agents can be (US ones too) is always declare or use the red door and then you are never in trouble. Failure to declare can result in a significant fine if caught and they think you tried to evade.

But probably your risk averse meter is calibrated differently to mine....

OMG....everyone here is making a mountain out of a molehill. The candy and granola bars are fine. You do not have to declare them. And even if your electronics were valued over €430 Euros and they are yours and not for sale or a gift, no one is going to bother you. Just take your things and walk through the green door.

Now, when you return to the US, declare every morsel of food. Most likely they won't care. But if they find something and you haven't declared it you could be fined and flagged for future searches.

Practically, a small item purchased at a store and still in it's original packaging, and/or snacks for the flight, won't be a problem.

The "right" answer isn't quite as simple.

Schengen is a visa free travel agreement that a group of countries are signed on to. That doesn't equate to all having the same rules for bringing items into the country. Customs and import restrictions can vary, country by country. It's good to check. It depends entirely on where you're going.

If you have problems finding your jellied candies on a list of prohibited items, they're likely not prohibited. Things that are prohibited are typically guns, narcotics, large amounts of cash or precious metals, some animal products (meat, dairy, skins, ivory, turtle shell), artifacts (historical), sometimes even religious items, certain books and art.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/customs-and-import.html

Schengen is a visa free travel agreement that a group of countries are signed on to. That doesn't equate to all having the same rules for bringing items into the country. Customs and import restrictions can vary, country by country. It's good to check. It depends entirely on where you're going.

That statement is misleading.
The Schengen Area is a passport union. It is not just a "visa free travel agreement", there are no immigration (passport) checks between Schengen countries, and the same rules apply for citizens of other countries getting into the Schengen Area.

But, that is irrelevant to the question asked. immigration is check on people. The question is about goods, that is customs, which is totally different.

The EU is a customs Union. That means no customs checks between EU countries (including no bans on taking food between EU countries); and the same rules for apply for bringing goods into the EU regardless of which country you enter first.

It has already been established that, so long as no meat or dairy is involved, there is no problem bring the items into the EU, and France to Slovakia is intra-EU, so no restrictions at all.

I brought 15 pounds of coffee home from Mexico, I was a little nervous about it. The very nice man at customs said "oh, we don't worry about coffee". I'm quite aware the answer might have been different an hour later from a different agent

Update: There was no paperwork to fill out on the flight, and when we landed at Orly in Paris there was no funneling of arriving passengers through customs. In fact, although I'm sure there must have been someone in the customs area well off to the side, it looked pretty empty. Now coming back into the USA (Portland, Oregon/PDX): two-sided form to fill out on the plane, scan passport at the machine and get your photo receipt; stand in line to turn in your receipt, show your passport and landing form, and be questioned (short or long, depending on the agent); collect luggage and show your passport and landing form again; and THEN you can leave.

When I come back, my total expense in souvenirs,etc amounts to $50, at most $100 when I spurge...maps, CDs, magazines, books, etc. When I bring back 500 grammes of coffee in the checked in spinner or a bag of cookies, that sort of thing, I don't declare it

Now coming back into the USA (Portland, Oregon/PDX): two-sided form to
fill out on the plane, scan passport at the machine and get your photo
receipt; stand in line to turn in your receipt, show your passport and
landing form, and be questioned (short or long, depending on the
agent); collect luggage and show your passport and landing form again;
and THEN you can leave.

This surprised me. i haven't filled a US landing card in a few years. Why were you given one by your flight attendant as they aren't required for US citizens? I don't know if they're required for foreign visitors as I don't remember the FAs making announcements and handing them out. Yes after scanning your US passport at either a GE kiosk or non GE, you do get a receipt with your photo. At JFK this week, I did not use GE as I was in a wheelchair and they had me use the regular immigration line (for wheelchair passengers). I used the kiosk first and then when the immigration official spoke with me, he took the photo receipt, asked where I had gone, and then said "Welcome Home". I do love hearing that. Customs as per usual was a walk through. That was it.

Why were you given one by your flight attendant as they aren't
required for US citizens?

Say what? Unless you are perhaps using the app or Global Entry, landing cards into the US are required by all passengers regardless of their citizenship. In over 100+ international flights I've always had to fill them out. Some airports are phasing-in kiosks that replace the physical cards, but its semantics as the kiosks asks the same questions that are on the landing card.

Maybe the use of the cards for US citizens is specific to airports that dont have the kiosk systems. My last two return flights to the US (Minneapolis and Dulles (last month)) they were only given to non-US citizens.

BTW, both times, I dutifully answered "yes" to having food (chocolate, cookies, cheese, coffee) at the GE kiosk. The CBP guy asked me what I had and waived me on. No point in guessing what's allowed - they want to know any food and will figure it out. Person behind me had a piece of fruit, and had to go through a full screening at the agriculture station.

Michael, I just landed at JFK Terminal 4 on Wednesday from AMS. No landing cards were offered by any flight attendants. It is 100% kiosk. When I returned to T4 in April from LHR, no landing cards were offered by flight attendants. When I returned from LHR in October 2017 to JFK T4, no landing cards were offered. I can't remember the last time these cards were given out.

This past Wednesday, I didn't use the GE kiosk as I was in a wheelchair and they go to the regular kiosks.

"Customs and import restrictions can vary, country by country"

It's a fundamental pillar of the EU (and its predecessors), that it is a customs union and that long pre-dates the Schengen system. For us tourists, it's why, at larger airports at least, as well as red and green customs channels, there is a blue one for those arriving from another European CU country. It's also the big sticking point in the current Brexit negotiations as they try to work out where to put the two Irelands custom border if there is no trade deal.

Be careful when you come home to the US, though:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/woman-slapped-500-fine-carrying-free-delta-apple-bag-article-1.3948752

Or when you fly to, from or through Hawaii:

https://www.govisithawaii.com/2009/07/16/be-prepared-for-agricultural-inspection-in-hawaiis-airports/

I'm stunned by that story in the Daily News. How often have I taken the banana home from a Delta int'l flight and I've done this for YEARS.

But something is odd in that article:

" A woman was slapped with a $500 fine for carrying a free apple Delta
Air Lines gave on her flight home to Colorado.

Crystal Tadlock told KDVR-TV she wasn't hungry when the flight
attendant gave out apples to passengers at the end of her trip from
Paris this month."

Delta doesn't have nonstops between CDG and DEN. So how could customs have stopped her in DEN when she was on a domestic flight from one of the Delta hubs?

Well, she wasn't fined for having an apple (free or not), she was fined for lying about it. I think the language on the GE entry is pretty clear about declaring ANY food. Apples, bananas and granola bars are all food. If she had said yes, they would have let her throw it away. Agent being too harsh? I have a friend who does this and his stories of indignant, devious and belligerent passengers beat that easily.

I've been trying to learn more about the CBP procedures since I've been back. Yes, US citizens do have to fill out the landing form. We didn't have anything to check for food, agricultural items, etc., so the front of the form was easy. The most confusing part to me was listing everything we bought and the values, even though we were nowhere near the $800 limit. Clearly I should have kept a list as I went along, and converted each item's cost to USD from euros, zlotys, forints, etc. But how detailed do they want the list? I categorized (books, folk art souvenirs, stuff like that)., and fortunately didn't have a lot. But I want to know exactly how it should be done so I can be prepared next time. This article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/going-through-customs-how-to-make-reentering-the-us-a-lot-more-pleasant/2012/01/23/gIQAN4mMVQ_story.html?utm_term=.febcaba7fbc9) suggests that they want a very specific list, and the form says to list everything, but I can't imagine they want every one of my tiny, inexpensive souvenirs itemized.

I've always filled out a landing card coming back to present to Immigration or whoever wants to collect it. I check "no" to all the questions. This last time in 2018 I was asked if I had any food , so I said only that which was given on the plane. That was all.

Since my total amount in "souvenirs" (including a battery re-charger in 2017) or even the coffee, is so little as to be inconsequential, I usually write amount as an estimate, eg, under $100 or ca. $50, which usually means next to nothing.

Hey Michele,

I take some energy bars and little "lunch box" yogurt or plain raisins. (My layover at Heathrow is about 3 or so hours.) I've never been questioned.

Michele, I find the souvenir-reporting situation very odd, too. One time I didn't list anything because the amount was so low, but that resulted in a bit of a delay at the counter, so I now try to provide a complete list. I jot down expenditures as I travel, and I try to remember to flag things I purchase that will go back home with me. Then on the plane I riffle through my little notebook and end up with what I hope is a complete list. Since I have only once hit the limit (by a few dollars), I tend to estimate high on my currency conversions. I do group tiny purchases ("Misc. magnets", "3 used books"). I think it's a matter of showing good faith. They're interested in the folks who do serious shopping for jewelry, designer clothes, etc., and fail to report those purchases.

for listing souvenir purchases, I have always (40 years) written "miscellaneous souvenirs, trinkets, t-shirts, etc." with an estimated ballpark dollar amount for the total. No issues, and never close to the limit. You have to understand what they are looking for - big ticket items that need to have duty paid, or illegal things like rhino horns, ivory, etc. They'll ask if they want more detail. Now, as was mentioned, if you have Global Entry, they only ask if you have more than the limit, yes or no. You don't have to type in a list.

Yes, US citizens do have to fill out the landing form.

Nope. I am a US citizen & haven't filled out a US landing form in at least 2-3 years; kiosks have been in place. Sounds like US airport terminals with no entry kiosks are stuck with paper forms for US passengers.

I am probably overthinking this but when I go through the Global Entry lines when coming home from a trip overseas arriving in Denver airport, if I am bringing home food treats for my family (or me!), at the kiosk I still check the box "yes" that asks if I am bringing in food; if, as a previous poster said "if it goes in my mouth". Almost always it's candy bars and the like for my kids and grandkids . As a result, once in a while I have to go through an extra step (but I am always moved to the front of the line) and the officer will always ask what I have, when I tell him/her he just waves me through. I do this because I was told once when I asked one of the officers what might happen if I didn't declare the candy bars and the like, the officer told me my Global Entry status would be at risk. He agreed with me that it was kind of "silly" but still.....I am of THAT generation and don't want to risk my GE status. Really, it's only a couple of extra minutes.

Nope. I am a US citizen & haven't filled out a US landing form in at
least 2-3 years; kiosks have been in place.

That's just semantics. Be it cards or kiosks you are answering the same questions at the end of the day.

i would encourage everyone that brings food back to the US from anywhere, to declare. the USDA and CBP have dogs that search for food (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2018/10/16/us-customs-beagle-intercepts-roast-pig-atlanta-airport/1661801002/) and we have issues with various countries, even friendly ones, with importation of certain foods (mad cow & England come to mind). there was a show in tv a few years called Border Security, where all kinds of food was snuck (intentionally or not) into the US (mail, bags, etc). As far as I'm concerned, even innocuous food - chocolate from Switzerland, etc - I'd absolutely declare (and do the same thing headed INTO another country).