Can you bring food on a plane?

On flights longer than three hours, you'll be fed, but if you're flying a low-cost carrier without meals, for example, it's better to bring a snack. What food can you take on a plane and how to transport products – let's figure it out.

Can you bring your own food on a plane

Of course, you can bring food with you on the plane, but you should consider a number of rules and recommendations. It all depends on whether you're taking products in your hand luggage or checking them in, what exactly you want to take, and in what quantity. 

If you intend to bring a snack for the flight, there should be no difficulties, apart from liquid volume restrictions. But if, say, you've prepared delicious gifts for loved ones and are filling your suitcase with food, it's better to find out in advance what products can be transported in checked airplane luggage.

If you're bringing products from abroad, make sure they are not prohibited by airline rules and customs control, and are not subject to sanctions. And don't forget that such international transportation may require additional documentation. The same applies to exporting products from Russia – there are restrictions that are best reviewed before departure.

What products can be taken into the cabin

Let's figure out what you can take on a plane and what you can't. Generally, you can bring food into the cabin without problems: even if you're not hungry, it's useful to chew on something to prevent your ears from popping. If you don't feel like eating, grab some chewing gum, lozenges, or a Chupa Chups. 

For a quick snack in the air, passengers often choose fruits, nuts, dried fruits, cookies, sandwiches – you can bring as many solid products as you can fit. If you haven't prepared sandwiches in advance, take bread and cheese in a container: knives are prohibited in hand luggage, so slice the ingredients at home.

However, liquids and soft products exceeding 100 ml are not allowed in hand luggage. More precisely, you can take them if they are purchased in an airport store after security screening – then you can bring even a liter on board. To avoid having to throw away your favorite yogurt at the security checkpoint, study the rules and leave 'oversized' products at home.

What products are prohibited

It is forbidden to take products in hand luggage that may spoil or do not comply with hygiene requirements and safety standards. These include meat, fish, dairy products – they often carry diseases and cause infections. Heavily odorous products like durian will also not be allowed on board – this exotic fruit is strictly prohibited in hand luggage. Overly aromatic cheese or spices may also be asked to be placed in checked luggage.

As we wrote above, pastes, purees, and gels exceeding 100 ml are not allowed in hand luggage – soft cheeses, jams, and sauces will not pass. In addition, airlines classify the following as liquids:

• caviar,

• canned goods,

• yogurt,

• jam,

• sour cream,

• butter,

• pâté,

• honey,

• olives in oil,

• jelly.

Can you bring drinks into the cabin

Water and other drinks can be taken into the cabin if they are purchased after security screening and customs control. Wine boutiques are often found in departure areas – if you want to grab a gift but are afraid to carry fragile items in checked luggage, this is your option. Restrictions also do not apply to Duty Free beverages; the only rule is to keep the receipt and not open alcohol during the flight.

When transporting alcohol from Russia to Europe, you'll have to put in some effort: vodka, whiskey, gin, cognac, and liqueurs are considered strong alcohol and cannot be imported (secretly, all important information about transporting strong drinks is collected here). You can take beer and wine – when packing them in your suitcase, wrap them well and declare your luggage as fragile to avoid breaking the bottle and spilling on your belongings.

If you want to take water and other liquids in your hand luggage, remember that the container volume must not exceed 100 ml, and you can carry a total of one liter (10 times 100 ml). This means if you decide to divide a liter of water into 10 small bottles, everything else (like toothpaste, shampoo, soap) from your hand luggage will have to be removed. A small life hack: security rules have nothing against empty bottles, so a personal bottle + drinking fountain/cooler combo is a safeguard against overpriced water.

Food on the plane for children

If you are flying with a child, you are probably concerned about whether and what food you can bring on the plane. Airlines offer various options for children's meals on board; you can request a vegetarian or other special menu – it needs to be ordered a day before departure or earlier. However, if you want to be sure your child will eat familiar and favorite food, you can bring a snack from home. There are no exceptions here: baby food must not contradict customs control and airline rules. For example, a 90g package of puree like 'Agusha' will be allowed, but a 250g one will not. We recommend bringing formula, an empty water bottle (a flight attendant will fill it upon request), puree, and cookies – universal options for a child's snack.

What products should be put in checked luggage

To avoid customs inquiries and not disturb other passengers in the cabin, some products are best put away in your suitcase in advance. Here are the products that should be put in checked luggage:

• large and heavy ones – to avoid overloading hand luggage and taking up too much space on the overhead shelf. Your Thai mangoes will be better off in the cargo hold – a whole box can fit there. However, airlines are against watermelons in checked luggage: due to pressure changes, they can explode, and they also don't favor coconuts: due to their thick shell, it's hard to scan them to find out what's inside;

• bulky, over 100 ml – don't deny yourself the pleasure of drinking your favorite foreign soda, bring a couple of bottles in your checked luggage;

• loose/powdery – we recommend wrapping them properly with cling film and putting them in your suitcase;

• perishable – if you're taking ready-made meals but don't intend to eat them during the flight;

• odorous – your seat neighbors are unlikely to be pleased with French blue cheese emitting its aroma throughout the cabin. And they won't appreciate the smell of smoked ribs if they're flying hungry.

Domestic flights

On domestic flights, the requirements are not as strict, as you are not crossing a border. You can bring any products, the main thing is to stay within the weight and size limits.

Pay attention to the flight duration: Aeroflot offers a snack and drinks on flights shorter than three hours, and a full meal on longer ones. S7 feeds passengers on flights over two hours, while Smartavia and Pobeda only provide water. Study airline regulations in advance so you don't go hungry.

International flights

If you are flying an international flight, find out which products are allowed to be exported from Russia and which are not, and check the same information for your destination country – they have their own import and export rules. This also applies to connecting flights.

Many countries – for example, the USA and South Korea – will not allow dairy products, pet food, or meat. And they will generally be skeptical of lard, and even pies with meat filling. For eggs and caviar without packaging in checked luggage, you might even get a fine. But to China, you won't be allowed in with dried fruits without a certificate – they will simply confiscate them. And while you can export 250g of sturgeon caviar from Russia, you can only import half – 125g – into the Schengen area. From Finland, for example, it is forbidden to export caviar at all. To Europe, generally, only products of plant origin can be imported without restrictions: bread, pasta, cookies. With restrictions: honey, oysters, snails, gutted fish, powdered milk, and infant formula.

Regarding imports into Russia, new restrictions periodically appear due to sanctions. Currently, there is a ban on the import of dairy products and meat, as well as a huge list of fish such as salmon, flounder, tuna, anchovies, and sprats. These types of fish cannot be imported whole, whether fresh, chilled, or frozen. Seafood is also included: no foreign mussels, crayfish, snails, oysters, scallops, or mollusks. Prohibited dairy products include butter, milk, cottage cheese, whey, cream, and cheeses.

The rules for each individual country are unique, so Google will give the most accurate answer to the question 'Can I bring food on a plane?'. Because grandma's pies, seemingly a harmless guilty pleasure, are not: in the UAE, you won't be allowed in with homemade food. So be sure to familiarize yourself with the entry rules for the country. Additionally, temporary restrictions sometimes come into effect: for example, during a pandemic due to the risk of virus spread.

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