I have brought back tins of foie gras from France into the U.S without any problem at all..Maybe I have been lucky, but frankly so long as you don't try to conceal it, customs lets you through without any problem, or at least that has been the case in my experience.

Hi; Returned from Bergen, thru Amsterdam last Thursday. Bought four tins at duty free in Amsterdam. Tins were looked at and went home with us. So, no problem in Boston as the tins are now in our food closet. Richard

Haven't been in the last 12 months, but have been bringing foie gras in tins and jars into Dulles for 18 years with no problem. I always declare it and go through the AG line. The only thing I ever had confiscated was a jar of goose fat, at Heathrow.

I have never had canned food confiscated although it has been inspected more than once. One time, the only thing they made sure of was that there was no beef in the can (during the mad cow episode).

I never declare any food on the form, and if I am stopped by customs for a check, they never say anything about it, although I am prepared to say "oh, I thought you meant something like bringing a steak or something fresh into the country, not canned food!"

In fact, they expect people not to declare food or to not understand the rules, so they don't waste their time scolding you or threatening you.

I think it is honest people who have the biggest problems because they are easy marks and are prepared to pay fees rather than protest.

We carry back foie gras all the time and never ever had any problem. Last year we paid only 10 euro for each can of bloc de foie gras at a local market so we carried back a whole dozen cans of bloc de foie gras! Had no idea that there are laws against bringing canned food, we thought only fresh food is not allowed.

Wonderful replies, useful and specific, and I thank you all. kerouac, your outlook is fascinating: I pride myself on being honest but there is no person on the face of this earth who ever found me an easy mark. I play by the rules and expect others to do so as well. Those who don't do not get a pass from me. I may still have ideals but I ain't stupid. Your view of officialdom is equally fascinating.

My experience was about 15 months ago and had no problem with a can of foie gras. I declared it, and the custom officer asked to look at it. The main thing she was looking for, was the words "foie gras" on the label. I actually bought mine in Hungary, but fortunately the brand I bought had "foie gras" printed on the label, in addition to the Hungarian word.

After her inspection, my entire suitcase was sent into a scanning machine. The whole process took 2 minutes. This was at BOS.

Technically, it is a meat product and could be banned, but, according to US Customs, they have an agreement with a couple of producers in France, and most agents are not interested is checking the label that close. We bring back foie gras and other delicacies if we happen to pick up some along the way, either France or Spain, and have only been questioned once when I bothered to declare it. Usually I don't bother.

Last winter we brought home some homemade foie gras we picked up at the market in Biarritz, but since it was only one small glass jar, choose not to declare it.

Brought some home from CDG to Minneapolis-St. Paul in May. Didn't declare it on the form and did not get stopped for a random inspection. I realize that I perhaps got lucky by not getting stopped. But I would probably feign ignorance as was mentioned above.

<<In fact, they expect people not to declare food or to not understand the rules, so they don't waste their time scolding you or threatening you.>>

Really?

My most recent experience was this past November. I brought several cans of foie gras and declared them. The customs inspectors told me it was fine. Poultry is apparently not the same as meat under the customs regulations. I have not heard there is an agreement to allow certain producers but not others; if this is so, I would like to see a reference. The customs inspectors I have encountered have been looking to make sure there was no pork or beef in the products.

We were checked by the Department of Agriculture when returning this Spring. We were speaking with the local supervisor who said that tinned meats are now allowed except for beef. Beef is not allowed because of mad cow disease, never mind that the EU has more controls in that regard than the States. However, there is no guarantee that Customs or AG agents will follow this rule, as in the not so distance past, no pork products were allowed.

They have often seen my cans of ordinary pork liver pâté and pâté de campagne, and it has never been a problem.

I must be the exception . I had over $100.00 worth of tinned foie gras entier confiscated at JFK.

Ha, I had a whole side of French country bacon confiscated in Tampa once, but I sort of knew that the moment they opened my bag, it was going in their bin. They just smiled and said "you know we can't let you keep this" and they gave me a form to fill out if I had any reason to complain of having been mistreated by customs. Then they looked at my cans of meat items and let me keep all of that because there was no beef content.

You will be happy to know that for one side of bacon confiscated, I brought at least half a dozen others to my parents without incident on other trips.

I had a tin of foie gras confiscated because I had it in carryon and it weighed 110 g. Limit is 100g.

Hi; That's interesting. I just looked at the four tins we bought. Each weighed 75g's. In the past, we have brought back larger tins. But I don't remember anyone looking at the tins as closly as they were this time. Richard

You could just ship it home. Saving all the trouble. I would not ship in late June, July, Aug. because of the heat, but otherwise, just ship it.

When bringing tinned foie gras back to Canada, we learned that as long as it is 100% real foie gras (i.e., 100% goose liver), there is no problem. The tins that are confiscated are the cheaper brands in which the goose liver is cut/mixed with beef or pork. The Customs agents examined each of our tins and explained to us what they were looking for. Not sure if it is the same in the USA, but usually, our countries are pretty close policy-wise.

Our friends always take foie gras back to Canada - and never thought to declare it as 'meat' because it was in a tin. Turns out it is allowed, but you should declare it. They had a nasty moment when their bags were checked and they were accused of making a false declaration. It was the false declaration that was the problem, not what they are carrying. Now they always declare.

So that makes me the biggest criminal here?

But I am really good at playing stupid.

You may be the biggest, but you are not the lone food sneak here. Just guessing, of course.

Great input for which I thank you all. Has anyone brought in tinned duck confit (legs and thighs)? Granted, the tins are much larger but, boy, are they delicious! My guess is most wouldn't bother because of the size. However, with the experiences described above, they would seem to meet the criteria currently being employed.

There lots of people in our society who think nothing of scoffing at all sorts of laws and seem to take a great deal of pride in doing so. My guess is that is just one of many factors contributing to the number of laws we have on the books and why we have so many of the problems we do.

We often bring back cans of confit as well as foie gras and always declare them, since the penalty for undeclared goods can be quite stiff, as Carlux points out. Occasionally we have to go through agricultural inspection (more often at DFW than at ORD), but we've never lost our precious cargo.

I have brought confit a number of times into LAX as well as canned cassoulet without a problem. I just stay away from anything in glass.

We arrived back at Dulles from CDG on Saturday, October 23, 2010, and declared the three tins of foie gras de canard we had bought in Sarlat. The Ag Inspector looked at the cans, read their labels closely, and waved us through.

Thanks to all for your assistance.

Came back last month with several cans of foie gras entier and about 6 lbs. of Papillon roquefort and put both right on the form. The immigration officer asked if the cheese was "hard," to which I replied "yes, sort of." He said that it would be fine and never asked about the foie (didn't know that food was part of their job or that they even cared - I always assumed they only cared about passports and the like) and then he wrote a few letters on the back of the form and circled them. When we got to customs/agriculture the guy hesitated for a second when he saw that I'd checked "food" on the front, then turned the card over, apparently saw the marks on it, and just waived us through. I bring [mostly] legal food products back all the time, but never had this sort of experience before.

A friend had four cans of paté taken from her. Not sure if it was duck and pork, or duck and beef or pure duck.
a bit disappointing.

I have taken some in but I admit I never have declared it.Never really thought about declaring it before this thread.

Big Blue, I'm so glad for you.

I had a delectable fois gras in Lyon that just melted away before I could eat it all. To not be able to bring some home would be a sin.

BIG Blue - thanks for the update.

Last night at The Wenthworth by the Sea in NH, I has foie gras that melted away, as Td describes the experience. www.hudsonvalleyfoiegras.com/shop.html

Will U.S. Customs apply state laws as they did (do they still?) with liquor? Does that mean that CA residents will not be able to bring back foie gras once the ban on sale and importation of it goes into effect?

So, I just webnt through customs and ag with foi gras. I did not check the meat section front (because it is canned and not fresh) as I had been intsructed a few years ago by an ag guy. I listed fois gras on the back and pointed it out to immigartion, both immigration and ag. were OK with it....and we'll be enjoying the fois gras at Thanksgiving.

This is a little late, but thought I'd add something. I flew from France to California via Heathrow about 18 months ago, and had the canned foie gras, cou de canard farci, and canned paté (with pork meat) in my carry-on. My main bag was already checked; it was at security that they wouldn't permit these items. They gave me a choice -- confiscation, or pay an extra $50 and check the carry-on. I paid the $50, grabbed my book, purse and headphones, and checked the foie gras satchel. Cost me more money, but it was worth it! So -- for me, it was an issue of carry-on vs. checked bags, not an issue of legal import. The security gal said foie gras was too much like a paste to be allowed.

Well, that is "news you can use", and your final sentence is the explanation--it's like a "gel" and can't be more that 3 oz. Thanks, although I always just put it in my luggage. And the $50 would definitely be worth it!! Thanks.