Declaring food

[BucksBugsy]

Originally Posted by fredflintstone

So I can stop declaring my tea bags then. Stopped putting them in my mouth years ago
Never thought to declare the chewing gum
And ... just remembered this is a child friendly forum

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Thank you for reading my mind

[Mjspin]

Passing through immigration in Philadelphia a week ago the border agent asked me if I had any food to which I (truthfully) replied no. He then clarified by asking ‘no scones then’. No. ‘No shortbread?’. I still am not entirely sure whether he was being funny listing some stereotypical Brit food or those are the items Brit’s most commonly get caught with!

[Kraken]

At the end of the day, it's like the Immigration Officer deciding if you're a family group on one Customs Form or not goes.

I've been told [like others] "if it goes in your mouth and it's not medication, it's food"... so declare it. I've also been told off for declaring instant coffee & UK chocolate / sweets, on the basis "we do sell these here Sir".

The only safe way is to tick Yes to the food question & risk a telling-off for ticking Yes. The big thing is that if you did tick Yes, they can't fine you $10k. I ticked Yes last time in MCO and the Immigration Officer just asked what food I had - answer was coffee & candy. He yawned and put my Customs Declaration on his pile of them & waved me on.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Kraken

At the end of the day, it's like the Immigration Officer deciding if you're a family group on one Customs Form or not goes.

I've been told [like others] "if it goes in your mouth and it's not medication, it's food"... so declare it. I've also been told off for declaring instant coffee & UK chocolate / sweets, on the basis "we do sell these here Sir".

The only safe way is to tick Yes to the food question & risk a telling-off for ticking Yes. The big thing is that if you did tick Yes, they can't fine you $10k. I ticked Yes last time in MCO and the Immigration Officer just asked what food I had - answer was coffee & candy. He yawned and put my Customs Declaration on his pile of them & waved me on.

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Exactly as I said earlier in this thread - and probably a few dozen times on here over the years.

Which would you rather face. A few sarcastic comments from the US C&BP officer or a $10,000 fine?

Mick

[Guest]

Problem is the US's CBP don't give a list or a definition of what they class as food that you can consult except the long winded explanations on their internet site. So people are confused as to what they should and shouldn't declare. As for the "sarky" comments yes they do sell stuff in the US but often it isn't the standard of taste we want.

Just tick yes and you are covered. I don't even listen to the comments these days.

[Matty777]

Originally Posted by geoffa

If it goes in your mouth then it's food so just declare it. You occasionally get comments from the officers like "We do have shops here" but I just carry on my way knowing I have avoided a $10,000 fine.

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I've told them before (when he asked why we were bringing in loads of snacks for the kids) their chocolate tastes like crap and he should try some of ours

[TGT]

I tick yes for food and above the top write 'chocolate, candy, snacks' depending what I have above it so they can just read what I have. I mostly just have those things, rarely anything else - sometimes tea bags for my guests, but tea isn't food. I was told by two separate people that the bottles of beer I had did NOT need to be declared - as beer isn't food - so next time I won't but otherwise, if I have food I say so. No big.

[KFJames]

I always take tea bags & biscuits & sometimes instant coffee, never declared it.

[mick]

Originally Posted by KFJames

I always take tea bags & biscuits & sometimes instant coffee, never declared it.

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As you can see from the link that I posted earlier they are admissible but should be declared.

Mick

[wdw-wanderer]

I was told at MCO last month I should have ticked ‘No’ as all I brought were biscuits, chocolate and cereal bars. As I had ticked ‘Yes’ an official went off to haul my case from the carousel and all my bags had to be x-rayed.
That had never happened before as I usually tick ‘yes’. Don’t know if it was because I used the automated machines in the arrival hall?