Traveling with Food

Know the Rules for Bringing Food from Home

Bringing food, plants, animals, and other agricultural items with you on your travels may seem harmless, but without knowing it, you could also bring along a dangerous stowaway—an invasive pest or disease. Just one piece of fruit or a single plant that harbors an invasive pest or disease could cause millions of dollars in damage, expensive eradication efforts, lost trade revenue, and higher food prices.

To keep invasive pests out of the country, the United States has laws that prohibit or restrict the entry of many agricultural products from other countries, including meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, soil, seeds, and some plant-based handicrafts, among other items.

Declare all food, live animals and plant or animal products to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer or agriculture specialist when you arrive in the United States.

Contact USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to find out whether the items you wish to bring or mail are allowed into the United States.