Our exchange student is going home tomorrow, and I'd like to send some Moonstruck chocolates home with her as a gift from Portland for her family (and for her to nibble on the way). Are there any restrictions on taking chocolate into the country? (I did search for this topic on Fodor's, but didn't get specifically relevant information.)

I can;t imagine why there would be - unless it's about a hundred pounds worth filled with liqeurs.

I can't answer your question, but I did read in Frommer's <i>Italy 2005 </i>that you shouldn't put chocolate in your checked luggage.

It says, &quot;explosive-detection machines used on checked luggage have been known to mistake food (especially chocolate, for some reason) for bombs.&quot;

Our exchange student from France brought some chocolate with her in her checked baggage to the UK. This was About 10 years ago. The &quot;explosive detector&quot; was a small beagle and detected the chocolate in her luggage.

Thanks for all your responses...so did the beagle bust her? Or did they let her keep it?

I wouldn't put chocolate in my checked luggage for fear my luggage would be lost. If they lose my clothes that's one thing, but by gosh they'd better not lose my chocolates!! &gt;

To answer your question, I've taken chocolates both to/from Europe with no problems.

. . . . I have a couple of chocolate-detectors in my house! Think I'll see if they can get paid for working for the airlines!

Chocolate can also cause a search of your hand luggage. So can cheese. My brother and sister were flying within the US one Christmas, carrying a block of cheddar and a block of fudge each. They were pulled for searching and were told that the density of the chocolate and the cheddar resembled that of plastic explosives.

I have brought lots of chocolate back to the US from Europe, and always put it in my checked luggage. Don't know if that has increased the searching of my bags or not - I figure they're likely to get opened for some reason anyway!

Chocolate is dangerous and has been known to explode. Best to give it all to me immediately.

I'm with you, P_M--they better not lose the chocolate!

lol, Suze

pardon me---I meant &quot;Sue&quot;

Hurray, I think it will be safe! ...unless she eats it all on the way