Can You Bring Cheese On A Plane?

Returning from travel, we really want to bring a nice souvenir to our family, friends and, of course, for myself. And the food is always an interesting option. Especially, cheese.

Each country has its own special type of cheese, and sometimes not just one. French with noble mold, spicy Dutch, time-tested German, hard Swiss, refined Italian, or any other cheeses are a wonderful gift.

However, how to deliver such a gift home so as not to lose it at the airport or customs?

What is the best way to transport cheese on an airplane

It doesn’t matter which option you choose, hand luggage or checked luggage, there are general nuances that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Buy cheese before the flight. It keeps your cheeses as fresh as possible. Don’t rely on the fridge or fall for the charm of the markets during your first days of relaxation. It’s better to postpone the purchase until the last few days, some soft cheeses are stored for no more than a couple of weeks.

Smell. Also, appreciate the flavor of the cheese in the store. Certain varieties have a very pungent odor, even breaking through several sealed packages. The desire to bring too exotic food can turn into problems already at the hotel, besides the taxi and the airport. Clothes may become difficult to wash after such a smell. So, choose something with a moderate aroma.

Consistency. By choosing hard cheese, you reduce the risk of problems during transportation, it’s no surprise that such varieties are taken by climbers to ascents: they don’t take up much space and are stored longer, without requiring special conditions for themselves.

Thermal package. Depending on the type of cheese, it’s worth considering the option of transporting it in a thermal package.

How carry-on baggage rules govern the carriage of cheese

Air carriers don’t restrict the carriage of cheese in carry-on baggage. However, if you purchased soft cheese, it can be considered as a liquid and there are limits for such cargo.

If you follow the law, the cheese weight is usually indicated in grams on the packages, it doesn’t have the volume in milliliters.

So, formally, this may cause the security personnel to refuse you to carry the product in your carry-on baggage.

To some, such restrictions may seem strange or picky, but the security personnel can do so. Therefore, it’s better to prevent controversy and immediately pack all the cheese in your checked baggage.

When is a cheese “soft”? There is no strict international definition, a security officer makes the final decision on the “softness”, and you can’t challenge his decision. Conventionally, it’s worth focusing on the consistency (soft, liquid, creamy, curd) and humidity over 67%.

How checked baggage rules govern the cheese carriage

If you decide to carry cheese in your checked baggage, then there are no restrictions (neither direct nor indirect) in this case.

However, with the tightening of anti-terrorist measures, the inspection of baggage has become even more thorough, the conditional list of suspicious goods has expanded.

For example, during X-ray scanning of baggage, some types of cheese resemble plastids. In this case, vigilant security personnel can open the suitcase for a more detailed study of its contents. We advise you always to carry cheese on top of your items to keep them intact.

How EU customs regulations regulate the import of cheese

If you want to take cheese with you to the EU, then you should know that customs restrictions in Europe are more stringent. According to the law, cheese cannot be imported at all, like any other food of dairy and animal origin.