Yes—solid foods are fine; liquids, gels, and spreads over 100 ml aren’t. Baby food gets screening, and some countries restrict fresh produce.
Packing food saves money and time. The checkpoint cares about form and volume, not flavor. If it can be poured, pumped, or spread, it follows the liquid rule. If it holds shape like a biscuit, roll, or apple, it rides through with routine screening.
Below you’ll find clear tables, packing notes, and special cases such as baby milk, powders, and frozen items. Keep your cabin bag neat, label homemade items, and learn the arrival rules for fresh food.
Carry-on food rules by item
Use this quick grid for the items people bring most. Status reflects checkpoint screening; arrival country agriculture checks can still apply.
| Food Type | Carry-On Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sandwiches & wraps (dry fillings) | Allowed | Wrap tightly; avoid wet sauces over 100 ml. |
| Whole fruit & cut veg | Allowed | Wash, pack dry. Fresh produce can be restricted on arrival. |
| Baked goods (bread, cake, cookies) | Allowed | Frosting counts as a spread if soft and messy. |
| Hard cheese | Allowed | Firm blocks pass as solids. |
| Soft cheese (brie, spreadable) | Size-limited | Treat as a spread; 100 ml/3.4 oz per container. |
| Yogurt, pudding, custard | Size-limited | Falls under the liquid rule. |
| Soups, stews, sauces, gravy | Size-limited | 100 ml per container; larger belongs in checked bags. |
| Jams, honey, peanut butter | Size-limited | Spreadable equals liquid at screening. |
| Chips, crackers, nuts, dried fruit | Allowed | Keep sealed to prevent crumbs at the X-ray. |
| Seafood or meat (cooked, solid) | Allowed | Seal well; some countries block meat on entry. |
| Frozen food | Conditional | Must be frozen solid at screening; gel packs must be fully frozen. |
| Baby food & baby milk | Screened | Exempt from 100 ml limit; expect separate checks. |
| Protein powder & drink mixes | Allowed | Over 12 oz/350 mL may get extra screening. |
| Canned food | Size-limited | Liquid inside counts toward 100 ml per container. |
| Water bottle | Empty | Fill after security, unless airport rules differ. |
What counts as a liquid or a solid
Screeners use a simple test
If the item can spill out, smear, or slosh, it goes in your quart-size bag and each container stays at 100 ml or less. Think dips, salsa, hummus, refried beans, soft cheese, jelly, soup, curry, or a smoothie. If the item keeps shape on its own, it moves as a solid. Think apples, carrots, crusty bread, jerky, firm cheese, plain rice, energy bars, or chocolate bars.
Edge cases trip people up
A cheesecake with a super soft topping may get treated like a spread. A fruit cup with syrup counts as liquid. A salad with a tub of dressing needs the dressing under the limit. If you want zero friction, pack sauces in tiny bottles and keep them together for screening.
The 100 ml rule in plain terms
The liquid rule sets three limits: one quart-size clear bag, containers at 3.4 oz/100 ml or less, and one bag per passenger. Put gels, creams, pastes, and runny foods into that bag. Keep the bag handy and present it without delay at the belt. This keeps the line moving and reduces bag searches. Full details appear on the official liquids page from the U.S. screening authority, which matches the common 100 ml standard across many regions: Liquids, aerosols, and gels rule.
Duty-free liquids follow special sealing rules, and staff place purchases in tamper-evident bags with a dated receipt. Mixing your own liquids inside the secure area still counts toward the rule once you re-enter a checkpoint for a connection in another terminal.
Special cases: baby food, baby milk, and pumped milk
Parents and carers get separate allowances. Baby milk, sterilised water for baby feed, and baby food travel in reasonable quantities and sit outside the 100 ml cap. Screening may include opening a container or using test strips on the outside. The same applies to pumped milk, even when the child is not present on the trip. Some airports publish explicit container sizes for breast milk; see this official guidance for one clear set of rules: UK hand luggage rules for baby food and baby milk.
Bring a small cooler if needed, label each bottle, and pack an extra liner bag for spills. Present these items early at the tray and keep them together. This keeps your hands free and avoids delays while staff set aside the cooler for checks.
Taking food in hand luggage: what airlines allow
Security rules come from national agencies, while airlines set cabin comfort rules. Odorous meals, messy trays, or containers that could scald neighbors may be refused by crew even when the item passed screening. Heat-up requests are rarely granted, and some airlines ban boiling water for noodles during boarding. Dry snacks never draw attention. If you pack a hot meal, use a leak-proof box with a snap lid and add a paper sleeve for drips.
Allergy safety matters to seatmates. Many carriers ask for nut-free behavior in small cabin sections. Pack wipes, clean your tray table, and keep nuts sealed until you land when a crew member requests a nut-free zone.
Can you carry food in cabin bags on international flights
Carry-on screening on departure follows the liquid rule and solid rule above. The real risk sits at the arrival inspection. Many countries require a written declaration for meat, dairy, eggs, fresh fruit and veg, seeds, and honey. Officers may inspect, treat, or destroy items to protect farms and native plants. Fines apply when food goes undeclared. If you are not sure, declare and ask at the counter. Sealed snacks like crisps or chocolate rarely cause trouble, while untreated fresh items often do. For U.S. arrivals, the agriculture page spells out what must be declared: Bringing food into the U.S..
Transit rules can bite on layovers. A bag of fruit bought airside in one country can still be taken away at the gate for the next leg if the next country bars fresh fruit. Pack shelf-stable snacks for multi-stop trips and save fresh items for the final leg.
Powders, protein, and seasoning packets
Protein powder, drink mix, flour, and spices travel as solids. Large tubs over 12 oz/350 mL can trigger extra checks. To speed things up, pour a trip’s worth into a small jar, label it, and keep it near the top of your bag. Pre-mixed shakes count as liquids and must fit the 100 ml rule or ride in checked bags.
Spread seasoning packets out in a tray or stash them in a side pocket away from laptops and cables.
Packing tips that speed screening
- Start with an empty bottle and fill it after security. Metal flasks often need inspection; plastic passes faster.
- Use small squeeze bottles for ketchup, chili oil, or salad dressing; keep them in the quart bag.
- Choose firm fruit and sturdy veg cut into sticks; skip juicy cuts.
- Pick snap-lids over flimsy film. Double-bag anything sticky.
- Label homemade items. A simple “tomato salsa 80 ml” on tape helps at the belt.
- Freeze gel packs rock solid. Slushy packs can be treated as liquids.
Keep food in a separate pouch so it’s easy to lift out when asked
Frozen items and ice packs the right way
Frozen items can ride in the cabin if they are rock solid at the belt. If staff see liquid in the bag or the pack flexes like a slushie, it may be treated as a liquid. That means each pack or frozen sauce must sit under 100 ml or head to checked bags. Freeze small cubes of sauce in silicone trays, then move them into tiny bottles on travel day. They stay cold for hours without melting into a large pool.
Use a rigid lunch box so fruit stays intact and cold packs stay flat. Open the lid before the X-ray so staff can see the contents. If a gel pack warms up during a delay, hand it to crew for safe disposal.
Medical and special diet foods
Some passengers carry liquid nutrition, gel ice for insulin, or allergy-safe meals. Screening officers allow medically necessary liquids in reasonable amounts outside the 100 ml cap. Tell the officer you have them and place them in a tray by themselves. A swab on the outside or a quick visual check may follow. Keep prescriptions or a doctor’s note handy. Pack a dry backup snack in case a seal breaks.
For strict diets, keep labels visible. Homemade items often pass with a short note and a tidy box. Bring your own small cooler, since crew fridges are for airline catering.
Canned food and vacuum seals
Metal tins look dense on the X-ray and often trigger a bag search. The liquid inside also counts toward the 100 ml limit. Small fish tins and single-serve fruit cups pass when under the cap. Family-size cans do not. If you want to bring a special jar of sauce as a gift, wrap it and check it. The same goes for vacuum-sealed soups and stews. A tight plastic skin still counts as liquid if it will slosh when opened.
During screening: how to present food
Arrive with food grouped together in one easy-grab pouch. Take laptops and large electronics out first, then place the food pouch in its own tray. Put the quart bag right beside it. Keep shoes, belts, and pockets simple to avoid a second pass through the metal detector. If an officer asks to test a jar, stay calm and keep answers short. The faster the tray moves, the sooner you sit down with your snack at the gate.
Region snapshots you should know
Rules share a similar shape worldwide, yet local notes matter. The United States uses the 3-1-1 rule and screens solids with routine checks. The United Kingdom applies the 100 ml cap while granting leeway for baby feed and special diets. The European Union applies the same 100 ml cap at most airports, with duty-free rules set by regulation. Biosecurity agencies in many countries restrict fresh items on entry, and officers expect truthful declarations on arrival. Read your airport page before travel, since scanner upgrades can change the drill.
Easy snack ideas that breeze through
Pick items that stay tidy and travel well. Aim for dry textures and leak-proof boxes.
| Snack | Why It Clears Screening | How To Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Cheddar chunks & crackers | Firm cheese counts as solid. | Use a small box; add a napkin. |
| Veg sticks & cold rice balls | No sauces; dry surface. | Wrap in parchment; keep cool with a solid gel pack. |
| Turkey wrap (no sauce) | Solid fillings pass easily. | Foil or beeswax wrap; add a tiny sauce bottle if needed. |
| Trail mix | Dry mix avoids liquid limits. | Seal in a zip bag; keep nuts sealed if crew asks. |
| Muffins or banana bread | Baked goods are solid. | Slice at home; use a rigid tin. |
Mistakes that trigger extra checks
- Leaving a 250 ml tub of hummus in the main compartment.
- Packing soft cheese as a wedge larger than the limit.
- Relying on a half-frozen gel pack to keep items cool.
- Hiding a large jar of jam under clothing.
- Stacking powders in one dense lump near a laptop and charger bundle.
- Carrying fresh meat into a country with strict farm safety rules.
Quick checklist before you head out
- All liquids, spreads, and runny foods fit in one quart bag at 100 ml each.
- Solids are together in a pouch, ready to lift out.
- Baby milk and baby food are grouped for separate screening.
- Powders over 12 oz are easy to reach.
- Fresh produce for international trips is declared or left at home.
- Water bottle is empty; snacks are sealed; labels face up.
Smart packing keeps lines short and helps you reach the gate sooner. Have a good flight.