TSA prepared for busy Thanksgiving travel in New Orleans, offers special packing tips

NEW ORLEANS -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is prepared for one of the busiest Thanksgiving travel periods on record. TSA expects to screen 17.8 million people from Tuesday, Nov. 25 to Tuesday, Dec. 2, with over 3 million just on Sunday, Nov. 30.

TSA projects the two busiest travel days at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) will be Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday after the holiday.

To help speed up security screening time, TSA is offering several packing tips for passengers planning to bring food items on board their flights. Most foods can be carried through a TSA checkpoint, but some items must be transported in checked baggage. Solid items can go through a checkpoint, but passengers carrying items that can spill, spread, spray, pump, or pour and are larger than 3.4 ounces should pack those in checked luggage.

Here are some examples of holiday food travelers can carry through a TSA checkpoint:

• Baked goods - homemade or store-bought pies, cakes, cookies, brownies and other sweet treats.
• Meats - turkey, chicken, ham, steak (frozen, cooked or uncooked).
• Stuffing - cooked or uncooked, in a box or in a bag.
• Casseroles - If solid, it can be brought in either carry-on or checked luggage. However, if the casserole contains liquid or semi-liquid components (e.g., soups, sauces, or gravy), those components must comply with the TSA's 3-1-1 liquids, aerosols and gels rule. This means each liquid or semi-liquid item must be in a container of 3.4 ounces or less and fit into a single quart-sized, clear, resealable plastic bag.
• Mac 'n Cheese - Must be solid and already cooked in a pan, or passengers may travel with the ingredients to cook at their destination.
• Fresh vegetables - potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, squash, greens.
• Fresh fruit - apples, pears, pineapple, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, kiwi.
• Candy
• Spices

Here are some examples of holiday food travelers should not bring through the TSA checkpoint but may carefully pack in their checked baggage:

• Cranberry sauce - Homemade or canned are spreadable, so check them.
• Gravy - homemade or in a jar/can.
• Canned fruits or vegetables - With liquid in the cans, travelers should pack in a checked bag.
• Preserves, jams and jellies - They are spreadable.
• Maple syrup
• Wine, champagne, sparking apple cider

Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy "What can I bring?"tool that allows you to type in the item to find out if you can fly with it. You can also ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send questions by texting "Travel" to AskTSA (275-872).

Food items packed in carry-on bags often need additional security screening, so it is best to place those items in an easily accessible location of the carry-on when packing them and removing those items from your bag and placing them in a bin for screening at the checkpoint.

It's also important to remember food safety by storing the food properly while traveling to prevent foodborne illness. If you need to keep items cold during your trip, ice packs are allowed but must be frozen and not melted when going through security screening. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also has recommendations on holiday food safety.

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