Flying With TSA-Permitted Foods

Q: Peter, I have a comment about what kinds of food can be taken on a plane. You said as long as it is solid, it is OK, but that is not necessarily so. In July 2009, I flew from Anchorage, Alaska, to LAX Airport in California, and then from LAX to Fresno. I went through the security checkpoint just fine in Anchorage but was stopped in LAX because of a jar of peanut butter. Everything was searched twice. TSA took the peanut butter and trashed it, saying it was unacceptable because it was of clay consistency. Why does security differ from airport to airport, and why didn't the TSA people catch it in Anchorage?

–Mary, Alamogordo, N.M.

A: The Transportation Security Administration's rules on food substances in carry-on baggage state that more than 3 ounces of any liquid, gel, cream, paste, or aerosol are not allowed. Since peanut butter is not in fact solid, it is therefore deemed unacceptable and subject to confiscation. This is why you cannot bring more than 3 ounces of toothpaste on board either. You and I both know that peanut butter is not exactly a potential weapon of mass destruction, but those are the rules.

Furthermore, the TSA's enforcement of its own rules is notoriously inconsistent, which is why it does not surprise me that one airport let your peanut butter slip by, while another did not. In the future, I suggest putting the jar in your checked luggage or leaving the peanut butter at home, just to be safe.