Sometimes we buy something delicious on our travels and wish to take a certain amount more home with us. Either to share with family and friends or to indulge ourselves with more of that delicious product, when the opportunity arises you may wonder what products are allowed on flights.
In the list that follows, we review some regulations regarding the transfer of food on domestic flights to international ones.
  • In general, on domestic or domestic flights there is greater freedom to transport food. By this we mean that the rules are not as strict as on international flights.
  • Liquid food can be carried in hand luggage up to 100 ml. After this limit, they must be carried in luggage from the aircraft’s hold.
  • Getting sodas less than 100 ml is a bit difficult. So you would have to carry them in the hold luggage. And why would you carry soft drinks in your hold luggage?
  • With alcoholic beverages it is easier to get them in presentations of less than 100 ml. In case you want to enjoy your favorite drink that you know is not served on the plane.
  • On some airlines, they allow you to carry up to 1 lt. of your favorite drink. Check with the airline in advance.
  • Perishable foods can be carried in carry-on luggage on domestic flights, as long as they are 100% solid, such as cookies, chips or sandwiches.
  • With “mixed” foods, half solid and half liquid (such as puddings or ice cream) you run the risk of not being allowed to pass them by. When they melt they would make a mess in the suitcases. And if it is just your suitcase’s turn to be searched, customs clerks don’t want to deal with that mess.

  • As for coffee, you can carry packages of up to 350 gr in hand luggage. More than that, you must pack it in your suitcase in the hold of the plane.
  • The exception is, in our experience, the duty-free shops in the departure lounges. What you buy there can be carried in hand luggage. It is assumed that what is sold there has already passed through the corresponding controls.
  • On international flights the rules are stricter. There are no unique criteria, but there is a common denominator is that you cannot travel with agricultural products, be it plants, fruits, land. That is why it is a great advice to find out in advance with your airline its rules for boarding food and beverages.
  • Products of animal origin, such as fish, meat, artisanal sausages are not allowed on international flights. This is because they decompose very quickly with the resulting unpleasant odor.
  • The exception to the latter are vacuum-packed cheeses and sausages. Which guarantees that they will stay fresh for a long time.
  • On the other hand, non-perishable and packaged products are allowed in hand luggage.
  • If you bring bottles of wine or other alcoholic beverages, which are new, without uncorking. The idea is that there is no doubt about its content. If you take the bottle open, it is possible that it will be searched and even seized.
  • Finally, artisan sweets that are well packaged you can take them with you, as long as they have the name of the company that made them, and other information such as nutritional value, health permits, etc. There have been cases in which people who wanted to pass unidentified plastic-wrapped candy were fined.
At the end of the day, we all want to bring edible souvenirs from our travels. But we repeat that it is highly recommended to check with the airline about their policies regarding food and beverages.
Generally, these policies are published on the respective company websites.
This simple investigation will save you a lot of headaches and frustrations when it comes to heading home.