Bringing back cheese....where?

If i try to bring back some french cheese to the US - vacuumed packed and some pasturized and some not - is it better in my carry on luggage or in my checked luggage? I%26#39;ve brought some back before - pre 9-11 - in my carry on and everything went okay, but it is alright to put it in my checked luggage?? Thanks much!

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I though that that kind of food was forbiden to be bring back to the US.

Euh... but you can try, maybe better on your checked luggage... very packed...... because I saw at Miami Airport some dogs w/ policemen (maybe for drugs, maybe for food).

Good luck

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i have brought it back before....my boyfriend just brought some back last week in his carry-on vacuumed packed and all was okay. But wondered if anyone had tried to bring back in their checked luggage.

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I know it%26#39;s illegal to bring any cheese back into the UK, not sure what the rules are for the states.

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The cheese guys here often know what you are allowed to bring back and what will not fly (feeling punny today). Having it vacuum packed does increase what can come home with you.

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Put some in your socks :-)

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Just try to bring back whatever you like. If you get caught, just act stupid and let them confiscate it (as long as you%26#39;re not also smuggling in other stuff, at the same time).

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This reminds me of an %26quot;I love Lucy%26quot; episode, she used cheese and pretended as it was a baby :)

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I have answered this question on TA before, but for what it is worth we declared the soft sided cooler of cheese that we brought back to an Agricultural Inspector at O%26#39;Hare, after noting it on our Customs form. This is the procedure that we were told to follow by another Inspector at ORD on an earlier trip, who confirmed that French cheese was indeed importable.

Upon declaration, we were sent to an agricultural inspection line, which consisted of nothing more than placing our bags on an x-ray and picking it up on the other side. It was actually shorter than the %26quot;nothing to declare%26quot; line.

I am sure that getting caught with undeclared foods will get you on some type of watch list with Customs. Not worth it, given that travel is already complicated enough.

Note that this is simply what we experienced. Like any government worker, you could get a completely different answer from another Inspector. When in doubt--declare it unless it is truly banned or illegal.

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You could just store the cheese in rubber pellet bags, tie them up and swallow them. Then when you come home, you extrete them from your digestive system. And voila! You%26#39;ve got cheese to share.

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thank you all for your responses, but i still do not know if i should put it in my carry-on or in my checked luggage. thanks