Can you take food items into Europe?
 

I know that you can't bring any food into Australia (not even the nuts from the plane) but can you take food to Europe? I'm thinking of "special" food - like Christmas cake, nuts, chocolates etc. Is there any restriction - especially for France and Italy?

Hi ozgal

I have not had difficulty in taking food like unopened chocolates, biscuits, twisties, tinned soup etc into Switzerland. Nor have I had trouble taking chocolate from Switzerland to Australia. We are expat Ozzies living in Switzerland and we miss some of the silly foods we liked at home that we can't get in Europe like Tim Tams, Time Out chocolate bars, Twisties, and Cambells soup so when we come back from a visit to Oz we bring some back in either checked or carry on luggage with no problems. I always take some Swiss chocolate back to Oz when we go because it is fabulous, I declare it to customs and have never had any difficulties. I have taken food, including grocery shopping, to and from France and Italy from Switzerland without problems but only by car.

I can't recall any problems taking food in unopened packages into Europe. Like LynnP, we bring back "silly" food, snacks we can't get in Europe and have the rare, immature, unhealthy craving for: Cheez-its, Twizzlers chocolate licorice, Rice Krispie Treats. Also, we take back some practical food items like cooking sprays.

Most food restrictions are related to preventing the transmission of diseases or pests, so fresh fruits and veggies are out. In general, the more processed a food is, the more likely to be permitted. So baked goods (bread, cookies, Cheez-Its, etc.) and canned goods (soup, etc.) are generally permitted.

Since the recent incidents with mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease, many countriers are also restrict the import of ALL meat products.

The US Dept of Agriculture has a web site about what's not permitted entry into the US, perhaps the EU has a similar resource.

I always pack these required items before traveling and never have a problem:

1 big box of Velveeta and 1 can of Cheese Whiz when going to Switzerland.

A package of Ding Dong's and a loaf of Wonder Bread when going into France.

A jar of Ragu sauce in case the pasta is dry when going to Italy. Also a can of spaghetti-o's in case of hunger on a train.

A box of instant Rice-a-roni paella sytle when traveling to Spain.

A bunch of Hershey bars when going to Belgium.

Some frozen Mrs. Paul's fish sticks and tater tots when going to London (this requires packing in dry ice).

A jar of Folger's instant crystals when going to Vienna.

Any more??

I always take a can of Reddy-whip to go along with the Folgers when traveling to Vienna!

LOL,

I can't top that, guys.

I always take coals to Newcastle :-d

Licorice to Holland, just incase I can't get the real thing! mmm...

So now this is a website for comedians to try out their latest stand up routine???

Laughter makes the world go round :-)

There isn't a simple answer to this question: within the EU, individual countries are allowed to override Union rules when they believe public health issues are at stake.

And - except when the French think they have an opportunity to score points off the Brits - most customs oficials throughout Western Europe simply don't bother with food inspections in the way their Australian and American peers do.

However, as an English-language illustration, DEFRA's FAQ page gives the easiest summary of rules applied through most of Western Europe: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/ille...allowances.htm

No European administration (except possibly the Irish) would waste energy on cake, nuts or chocolates.

Thanks everyone for your reassurance - I just didn't want to have to face being forced to leave our treats for the customs guys to scoff down!(and as we arrive in the afternoon on Christmas Eve,we can't rely on sourcing them locally).

Patrick - what are ding dongs and instant crystals?

WHOA Patrick, I need you for restaurants for some of our posters.

Cute Answer Patrick....You are funny!!

Ozgal, in Patrick's absence, I'll jump in and reply. If I recall correctly, DingDongs are a confection sort of like chocolate Twinkies--a chocolate cake like substance wrapped around a white chemical icing-like filling. They supposedly have a shelf-life of100 years. Folger's instant crystals is an instant coffee product.

This was a helpful question for me as well, however, I am still not clear on one area of concern.
Can you take homemade items, such as Christmas cookies?

Thanks for telling, Betsy. To be honest I don't think I've ever had a dingdong or a Twinkie and didn't know exactly what either is, but the names make for fun journalism, just like the shelf-life line.

Folger's Crystals are the God awful instant coffee product that they used to have a lot of commercials about. They'd go to a great restaurant of the world and substitute those things for the regular coffee and nobody could tell the difference. Yeah, right. I never could understand why a great restaurant would let them show their regular coffee was so bad that people thought it tasted like instant.

This is kind of sick, but I always pack about 10 cans of Sam's Cola from Walmart. As much as I lover everything about European food, their sodas suck. Way to sugary. I'm thirstier AFTER I drink them. Sam's Cola is almost as cheap as water and gives me a tiny little taste of home when I'm back in my hotel room. (Sounds like a commercial)

ritajmae:

From the site I pointed you all to: "chocolate and confectionery are permitted as long as they do not contain fresh cream".

Basically, dairy products (which means chhese and milk, not chocolate) from non-European sources are banned.

I've never thought about taking food but I do take my Marcella Hazan and Julia Child cookbooks with me so I can instruct the restaurants how I want my food prepared. I find the chefs are very grateful for the advice.