# Can you bring in food in checked bag?



## ronandjoan (May 7, 2014)

We ll be leaving from a timeshare to fly to Rome. Can we put some food items in checked luggage , not fruits or veg 
but cheese ? ( leftover chunk ) and?


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## Passepartout (May 7, 2014)

Packaged, sealed, food shouldn't be a problem. Opened, fresh, probably OK. I haven't seen that question on an EU customs declaration. But I wonder why you'd want smelly cheese in with your clothes, especially when going to a great cheese country like Italy. That's like taking a bologna sandwich to a smorgasbord.


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## ronandjoan (May 8, 2014)

Hi
Thanks for info!!! 

I knew that question would come up!  We pack it in a small cooler, just hate to throw away $5 worth of cheese, especially since, as everyone knows who has followed our BLOG, DH is diabetic and needs non starch snacks and food.  I don'T even want to think about him not being able to enjoy the pastas of Italy and pastries of France too.  I'm off cheese myself due to needing a low chloresterol diet.. Quite a "mess", huh?

So why go, you ask?  

FIL landed at Anzio beach in 1944 so DH has always wanted to go and then to Normandy this year!  We ll be there a week for June 6 th!

We didn't feel we could go to Europe sooner since we had 4 elderly parents to need to be in the USA in case of an emergency, but now we only have one, so feel more secure to leave for a few weeks.


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## pedro47 (May 8, 2014)

Normandy was one of our sightseeing tour stop in France. The country side is beautiful.


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## CarolF (May 8, 2014)

The slogan "know before you go" is used around the world to encourage travellers to inform themselves about the customs/quarantine requirements.  I'm not sure if it is used within the US.

Travellers entering Italy (which is part of the the EU) need to read the information about "Customs and tax allowances for travellers" published by the European Commission.  

Trained Dogs are used to find prohibited items carried by passengers and in luggage.  You might find these links useful -

http://italy.visahq.com/customs/#!import-regulations



> Prohibited
> 
> •	Meat and milk and any items thereof from non-EU countries with the exception of limited amounts from Andorra, Croatia, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and small amounts of specific products from other countries
> •	Protected species and products thereof as listed by the CITES (Washington Convention) for example ivory, tortoise shell, coral, reptile skin, wood from Amazonian forests.



Customs and tax allowances for travellers
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/travellers/enter_eu/index_en.htm


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## Pompey Family (May 8, 2014)

Not from the US you won't be able to, unless you're prepared to take the risk of a fine should you be caught. You say it will be in a checked bag so you won't be able to access the cheese during the flight, why not wait until you're in Italy and buy the cheese there? Throwing away $5 of cheese is preferable to a $$$ fine.


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## PStreet1 (May 8, 2014)

As others have pointed out, the cheeses of Europe are wonderful--worth buying, and they are probably enough cheaper that buying them there will more than cover the loss of $5.00 worth of cheese from home.


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## Laurie (May 8, 2014)

Never worth the time and hassle IMO. 

Also - if one of you has food and the other doesn't, you could be shepherded into 2 separate custom areas, and it's not always easy to find each other afterwards.


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## elaine (May 9, 2014)

absolutely not! They actually have dogs trained to smell food items (not just drugs). However, I think that they will let you take it in your carryon luggage. You just have to eat/toss prior to deplaning in Europe.


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## Vacationfuntips (May 9, 2014)

ronandjoan said:


> We ll be leaving from a timeshare to fly to Rome. Can we put some food items in checked luggage , not fruits or veg
> but cheese ? ( leftover chunk ) and?



No, dairy is NOT allowed.  Cheese can bring mold and bacteria.  No  meats, dairy, tree nuts, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits.  You can only bring  pre-packaged dry goods & sealed foods.  You must declare any food that you are  bringing with you.  Go to the customs site for rules. 

$5  worth of cheese (although good) is not worth the headache.  Leave it  behind or eat or it before you go. Perhaps, you can give it to someone before you leave?

I tried bringing some foods once in a checked bag, mostly breakfast items and snacks.  My bag went missing for two days.  I also had other stuff in there that was not food.  What a headache!  I didn't even put any prohibited items in it.  When I got my bag it said inspected by customs.  

It is better to stop at a grocery store when you arrive to avoid headaches.

Cynthia T.


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