Food issues crossing into USA ?

[Lanark Camper]

We live in Canada and have crossed into the USA many times with food. The only questions regarded citrus, so we knew to never bring any.

However this was just brought to my attention,

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1273?language=en_US

Has anyone had any experience with this ? Is it new ? We are heading south in a week so need to decide what we can bring legally across with us.

Thanks, Bob

 

[splitting_lanes]

I’d avoid bringing poultry.

Buy that after you cross the border. At Walmart. Where they also have awesome peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. lol.

 

[brroberts]

Here we go with peanut butter again. No store bought cookie is that great. I’m totally spoiled by Barb’s baking.

 

[canakiwi]

I cross into Washington State quite frequently. Only thing they ask about and say is not allowed is apples and oranges. Not sure what the "law" is, but that is all I've been asked to surrender, although last week when I said I had a WA apple they told me "just eat it now". It is a very small border crossing and most of the officers know me.

 

[Iowa Dave]

The only problem we ever had was three potatoes bought off the bulk table in Osoyoos. “Might have some Canadian dirt on them with pathogens” so they took my spuds in a ltlle.
Paper bag. I think but I’m not sure I heard the US border guard saying “Hey honey, three nice spuds for dinner tonight”. So no spuds for us after that. No root vegetables not washed up in a plastic bags.
Iowa Dave

 

[Ron in BC]

Being a weekly crosser for many years and having had some unpleasant experiences here and there, my view is that the US isn't short of food stores.

We've seen rule changes from border to border and at the same one in a couple of weeks. We leave home with lot's of food but none that's going to cause us grief.

Ron

 

[Lanark Camper]

Thanks for the replies.
Certainly food can be purchased anywhere. We usually travel with a freezer loaded with meat. According to this directive only chicken is allowed from some certain areas of Canada. So any meat would have to be discarded prior to crossing. Canned goods, pasta, rice, bread, cereal etc is no problem, unfortunately we don’t eat much of that. On some trips we have crossed back and forth several times. Fresh fruit and vegetables not grown in Canada can’t be imported, most of our fruit and vegetables at this time of year are imported.

Bob

 

[hrewer]

We had uncooked chicken and eggs taken when we crossed last summer at Detroit. I think if it had been cooked it would have been okay.

 

[Lanark Camper]

The latest bulletin seems to say eggs, chicken and beef are ok,

https://aphis.prod.usda.gov/traveling-with-ag-products/traveling-united-states-canada-land-borders

Bob

 

[sunrisetrucker]

We were delayed over an hour because of some California tomatoes. Now we buy all our groceries after we cross over.

 

[iamunique127]

We buy our fresh fruit, vegetables and meat after we cross, too.

 

[Lanark Camper]

We crossed with beef, pork, eggs, cream, cheese, bread, no fruit, no fresh vegetables. No problem, he asked about chicken, citrus, potatoes, we didn’t have any, very smooth crossing.
We had a 9 hr drive that day so glad we didn’t have to stop to buy groceries.

B

 

[mike o]

We went across a couple of weeks ago and were hauled in. The list they gave us was quite extensive. They took some rice and frozen chicken and warned us. You are better to just do any shopping down there and save yourself the grief .

 

[jeffhaltiner]

In 1974, a friend and I were returning from Vancouver to Seattle with 10lbs of fresh Canadian cherries. We saw the fruit inspection sign, panicked and immediately pulled over and ate all the cherries rather than give them up!! At the inspection station they told us cherries were fine to bring in as they are not citrus . I’ve disliked cherries ever since.

 

[Ron in BC]

What's kind of funny is that I've been through the California agricultural inspection twice recently and they're not even making people stop, just roll through.

Wish the border folks here would take the same view.

Ron

 

[iamunique127]

In 1974, a friend and I were returning from Vancouver to Seattle with 10lbs of fresh Canadian cherries. We saw the fruit inspection sign, panicked and immediately pulled over and ate all the cherries rather than give them up!! At the inspection station they told us cherries were fine to bring in as they are not citrus . I’ve disliked cherries ever since.

Haha!

In the far-distant past, we've hastily consumed some substances when we suddenly and unexpectedly arrived at the border. We were pulled over and searched but allowed to continue.

Those border guys are a barrel of laughs, aren't they?

 

[ROWDY II]

We live in the US and it seems we have a target on us as the US customs nearest Osoyoos pull us over every time:-( We don't travel with fresh anything back over the border into the US. No frozen chicken allowed, and they took our frozen pork tenderloin as well as they couldn't tell the difference. It is the only part of our trip that I do not look forward to.

 

[thunderworks]

Do most of this issues arise when entering the US from Canada - or is it similarly a crap shoot when entering Canada from the US?

 

[brroberts]

My experience has been either way is a crapshoot. Some border agents seem to care more. There may also be some kind of randomly appearing non random procedure depending on when you happen to arrive.

Most of the time we drive right through both ways, but twice going into Canada, we have had to pull over and a thorough search was made of our vehicle and RV. Once stuff was mostly put away for us, once we had to go back in and repack the place. We always answer directly, but friendly. So, I have no idea when you may or may not get searched or lose food. I can’t possibly say how many border crossings I’ve done, just many.

 

[Ron in BC]

Do most of this issues arise when entering the US from Canada - or is it similarly a crap shoot when entering Canada from the US?

I'd say Canada to US, hands down, for me, both the Canada-US border and the US-Mexico border.

I don't want to stray into forbidden territory but some of the US-Canada crossings have another element involved.

Ron