Olives on a plane?

November 21, 2006 8:55 PM

Will US airlines accept fresh produce -- say, 30 pounds of olives -- inside checked baggage on a domestic, inter-state flight?

I want to pick the olives while I'm home for the holidays in California, then take them back to Michigan so I can cure them. Are there any relevant regulations? If not, is the sheer weirdness of my cargo likely to trigger delays and scrutiny, or are inspectors prepared for far stranger?

posted by aws17576 to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

The hot ice may be an issue, check with the airliner for restrictions.
posted by JujuB at 9:46 PM on November 21, 2006

Hot ice? Not sure what you mean, but Wikipedia says:

Hot ice is the name given to another surprising phenomenon in which water at room temperature can be turned into ice that remains at room temperature by supplying an electric field of the order of 10^6 volts per meter.

I would agree that that's a concern for airlines. However, these olives are low-voltage.
posted by aws17576 at 11:12 PM on November 21, 2006

JujuB may mean dry ice. Although I'm not sure that you would need to keep olives on dry ice.

Why not call your airline and ask them? Although it's not on this prohibited items list and I can't see why it would be.
posted by grouse at 3:25 AM on November 22, 2006

There was an interview on NPR yesterday with a bigwig from Transportation Security who said that transporting pumpkin pie, Jello and cranberry relish are all legal inside checked bags -- just don't bring them in the cabin. Olives aren't even a "liquid," so I can't see how they would be a cause of concern on the plane.

Checked baggage seems perfectly acceptable. Maybe lable them "raw olives" so that any confused bag inspector knows what he or she is looking at.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 6:56 AM on November 22, 2006

Shouldn't be a problem at all; I've traveled from the southwest with suitcases of citirus before.
posted by craven_morhead at 7:08 AM on November 22, 2006

I also don't think it would be a problem, I bring back produce when visiting my aunt all the time - avocados, citrus, etc.
posted by tastybrains at 8:17 AM on November 22, 2006