Groceries brought to US from the UK - Anyone experience confiscation?

You can't bring any kinds of meats into the US.
Typically you're allowed to bring hard cheese but the soft variety is not allowed. Baked products like bread are usually okay. There are a lot of conflicting rules when it comes to food, so Customs officers have a lot of discretion. It doesn't matter if it's in your checked luggage as you have to collect it before you pass US customs.

ok thanks. I figured the bread or pastries would be ok. Guess I shouldn't bring the sausage rolls. The cheese would be english sharp cheddar or something. I guess I can just get stuff and if they toss it out, then they toss it out. I just dont want to get in trouble!!! :)

As mentioned, the big no-no's are meat products and fresh fruits and vegetables. Beyond that, you cannot go too wrong with packaged products (crisps, biscuits, marmelade, mustard, anything processed) Cheddar will be no problem, best if it is shrink wrapped. Frozen Items? probably will be bad or goop by the time you land and get to your house, I would probably skip. Beer, Ale, Scotch, all OK, just declare on your form. Liquids, of course in checked luggage...make sure on your US customs form you check the "yes" box in reference to food items, it will be more likely that the USDA will pull you aside to check the items...and any thing else you may have.

The deal on cheese is it's required to be pasteurized to be sold in the US. Many European cheeses aren't made from pasteurized milk and aren't allowed in the country. I've seen canned meats confiscated, ravioli, haggis, tamales, etc. because they were from places where there was mad-cow disease. Exotic items that can be used as food or spices often don't make it through.

I don't bring much home other than a few chocolate bars.

The place to get the good scoop is www.cbp.gov, click on questions, then "find an answer" will take you to a list of frequently asked questions. The first one is what foods you can bring back into the country.

We don't bring fruits or vegetables; but we have imported all kids of cheese without question. We always leave it unopened in the orig. package.

As people have said you cant bring meat products back. Though saying that, I have brought back tins of Oxtail Soup in the past, just put it all in my checked luggage. My wife did once bring back 20lbs of Sausage from a great butcher in Moira, NI where we used to live. Froze it, wrapped it in paper and then double wrapped it in the suitcase. These days though they have sniffer dogs to detect most of this stuff which is a shame! In October we came back with lots of Thorntons Toffee/Chocolate products, Galaxy Chocolate..im sorry HERSHEY'S but your choc's just dont measure up! Also, we went into Tesco's Grocery stores and bought lots of packets of different things like meat rubs, meat crusts, sauce mixes for curries and gravies etc. OXO does a range of packet Gravy mixes like Winterberry flavour that are great, easy to pack and very lightweight. These are a good idea. We also bring back packets of cookies/biscuits that you just wouldnt find over here, usually made by candy bar manufacturers.
I would go for the packet mixes though. Sausage Casserole, stew mixes. Yes I know we can make that stuff from scratch here..but sometimes just adding a touch of the UK to it makes it seem so different!!! And of course, don't forget a tin of Heinz Baked Beans, maybe one of the curried varieties..
Pete

I'd check out the gourmet groceries in Boulder first to see what you can and can't get at home. Whole Foods stocks several fine high end English cheeses, for example.

Then, knowing what is unobtainable, zero in on the goodies your husband wants most--Branston pickles, pickled onions, HP sauce, Heinz beans, lemon curd, chocolate digestive biscuits, gingernuts, Patak Indian Balti paste, and treacle are what would be in my bag for my British husband...

Pete: yes, in December I brought back Thorntons too, and tons of chocolate, licorice and Kiplings pies from Tesco as well. Tesco is the cheapest store for food. And youre right, Hersheys is horrible, even UK Made Cadbury is so much better than american cadbury (Has to do with the dairy products in it I think). I was hoping to bring sausage rolls back frozen since I have a direct flight, but I dont want to get in trouble if its not allowed, I just wasnt sure if Processed meat is ok. But it seems it isnt. :(

Jer: There are cheeses we cant get here, like Marmite cheese, Dairylea, etc. Plus whole foods in Boulder always has a gazillion yuppies and hippys in it so its impossible to shop there. lol.
My husband likes the Picililli, curry mixes, heinz products, Paxo stuffing, Pot Noodle, Warburtons bread, etc. But I guess I wont be able to bring any tinned Fray Bentos pies or sausage rolls.