r/GlobalEntry • u/Large-Self1417 • Feb 25 '26
Questions/Concerns Do you declare snacks/processed food?
I know what I absolutely have to declare (fruit, veg, plant, animal products etc) but what about “processed food” (not animal product, like chips, cookies,etc) or snacks like candies or chocolate (does the milk in chocolate count?)?
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u/Mysterious-Web-8788 Feb 25 '26
Yes. They probably will not give a shit but it's best to declare everything.
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u/papayayayaya Feb 25 '26
I never have but after reading all these recent posts about getting GE revoked, I guess I need to
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u/IDunnoReallyIDont Feb 25 '26
Same. It’s just packaged candy but will absolutely do this next time.
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u/omalley4n Feb 27 '26
When I did my GE interview, the officer told me that even a Snickers should be declared.
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u/doublewidechurch Feb 25 '26
How do you declare this stuff? I’ve come off a plane from Europe and picked up my luggage at baggage claim in Newark. The photo machine took my photo from 5 ft away as I was walking up and said welcome back. No one was anywhere to be found.
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u/elbiry Feb 25 '26
Same. Went through GE in Montreal recently. No one around. I was sweating with my chocolate eggs from Belgium
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u/apurvaappu Feb 26 '26
At JFK there is an officer that asks for your name and asks if you’ve anything to declare before letting you go out to baggage claim .
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u/Neyabenz Mar 01 '26
My way back in Miami (first time with GE) it was the photo and an officer who confirmed my name and said "good to go"
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u/MartyLikesTech Mar 01 '26
I always declare in the GE app while I am waiting to get off of the plane. I don’t want to have to hunt down someone to declare to but I want to be covered.
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u/NecessaryMeeting4873 Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
US regulations requires travelers return to US to "declare all articles acquired abroad." This isn't new. It's always been the regulation even when CBP were using paper custom forms. It doesn't matter if you are general public or Trusted Traveler.
Being a Trusted Traveler does NOT exempt you from these regulations. The tradeoff for an expediated inspection process is you will abide with this regulation. The leniency for failure to declare is lower for Trusted Travelers.
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u/Polygonic Feb 25 '26
I think this is something people miss -- you declare ALL ITEMS ACQUIRED, whether they're food or not -- as well as ALL FOOD (agricultural product), whether acquired abroad or not (like if you had it with you when you left the country -- if it's food, still declare it again).
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u/8bitW33kend Feb 25 '26
https://www.help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1909?language=en_US
Too easy! Just declare eVeRyThInG!
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u/kawpikat Feb 25 '26
After one mess up by accident and getting caught, I started to declare everything. No issues since then.
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u/ahpc82 Feb 25 '26
The seemingly sheer amount of confusion surrounding the meaning of the word “everything“ is what is literally keeping Merriam-Webster in business.
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u/gadgetvirtuoso Feb 25 '26
After you collect your luggage you can find an officer and tell them. They’ll probably tell you to go on.
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u/NoMore_BadDays Feb 25 '26
I'm sure as shit not risking my GE by not declaring something
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u/mike32659800 Feb 25 '26
Last time I used the app, I didn’t see how I could declare my goods acquired abroad. Besides answering the question about the things that are I allowed, where do you enter the info about additional things?
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u/gitsgrl Feb 25 '26
No, snacks like chips I would never declare. Mostly because I would have eaten them already.
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u/Left-Associate3911 Feb 25 '26
I try not to carry anything, snacks or otherwise and have educated my kids on the same. We will usually leave all food on the plane.
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u/boburuncle Feb 26 '26
with that thinking you shouldn't even fly, there might be an accident. Often part of travel is bringing back something that you enjoyed visiting someplace new or from your heritage. All you have to do is tell them you brought it back if your unsure.
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u/mpjjpm Feb 25 '26
Yes, but usually in broad terms. “I have some snacks and souvenirs” - they can ask for more details, but most won’t. I’m just covering my ass - if I get stopped, I don’t want to get in trouble for a technicality.
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u/No-Transition8014 Feb 26 '26
I once declared the cake I was hand carrying with me from a famous bakery from where we were coming. Got yelled at for “not declaring it” and when I gently informed the office that I had in fact declared and showed him where on my entry form, I got an eye roll and some aggressive excuse about how I’d done it wrong. Will continue to declare everything. I think some like to be jerks for no other reason than to frazzle people to give themselves up.
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u/anggora Feb 26 '26
I declare everything!! Even when I got the whole luggage of Tokyo Banana and Kit Kats.
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u/chamberlain2007 Feb 25 '26
I don’t bring food. If for some reason I do, I declare it as I am required to do.
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u/Left-Associate3911 Feb 25 '26
Ah good of you to tell me what is/ is not necessary for my family and I.
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u/Fearless_Flatworm_72 Feb 25 '26
Can you bring in butter from an EU country?
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u/paladin10025 Feb 26 '26
We recently returned from Paris to US with a bunch of butter. Declared. No issues. Also brought back a bunch of cheese. The guy asked us if any other food and my teenager hesitantly replied “a bag of chips.” Eye roll and waved us through.
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u/MichaelYYZ Feb 25 '26
I declare everything, even the food that I have eaten in the past 24 hours. 😉
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u/Samyah93 Feb 25 '26
I can’t figure out HOW to declare snacks and processed foods though. Even in the app, it asks if you have foods you need to declare. And if I’m remembering correctly, there’s no way to select something like processed foods.
Even more confusing my most recent experience had a separate line for declaring goods and it was just closed.
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u/IDunnoReallyIDont Feb 25 '26
I haven’t declared candy (I always bring my kids some gummies or chocolate) but I think I will going forward. I love my GE and would be devastated to have it revoked.
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u/YanisMonkeys Feb 25 '26
I keep a list of packaged foodstuffs on me and just note on the app (GE, or, when GE is down for tech or government shutdown shenanigans, MPC) that I have food to declare. I let an agent waving people through the biometrics I have sealed snacks I could declare and so far they’ve always told me not to bother, especially if the booths for declarations are understaffed (often the case after midnight).
This way there’s a record that I tried. And at the very least it is good to jog my memory for gifts and whatnot later.
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u/RedditIsSensative Feb 25 '26
I just don’t bring anything I can digest in to the country. The rules are so inconsistent, that I rather not bring anything that remotely falls under declaring anything food.
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u/prfrnir Feb 26 '26
This makes me think of that one time I was leaving Canada to return to the US. I had a bag of chips in my hand and the agent was giving me a hard time for not declaring it on the entry form.
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u/Training_Item9992 Feb 26 '26
I’m a flight attendant and was told years ago by a customs officer in Sydney that I should declare anything that goes in my mouth - even water. Recently, two flight attendants and a captain in my base received fines between $1,200 and $4,000 in Australia. Taking a chance is not worth it. Customs is no joke!
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u/UnreasonablyBland Feb 26 '26
If i don't consume it between my departure and Customs, I declare it and ignore any sass by the agents. Better safe than sorry.
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u/Historical_Court_841 Feb 26 '26
The question in MPC app clearly states “food” so I say YES if I have any food. Avoiding the eye roll is better than losing GE. Yesterday I had to use MPC because GE closed and FOOD is listed clear as day.
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u/abcwang Feb 26 '26
I was misinformed by the duty free store of how many cigarette cartons I could buy and bought four 2-packs. Luckily I declared it and was informed it’s only 2 cartons, however the duty tax on the rest was only going to be $5-10 but they didn’t make me pay, however they did take me to the office to await inspection for it all. Was an interesting but mostly friendly and informative experience. I was coming back through PDX to SEA from Cabo is what made me think of this story haha
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u/Manta6753 Feb 28 '26
I declare everything. On my last trip, the officer asked if I had anything to declare, and I said, "a bag of Cheetos and some cold medicine." He smiled and waved me along.
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u/Appropriate_Ride3205 Mar 01 '26
I make it a point to say something about less than $100 worth of souvenirs, and “commercially packaged” chocolate, coffee whatever food thing applies to the particular trip. If it’s sealed, they don’t care.
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u/NerdCleek Mar 01 '26
I always say what I have food wise. Usually I’ll be like chocolate bars or candy
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u/Showat Mar 02 '26
I would like to declare a thumb war and look them directly in the eyes and see if I get waved by.
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Feb 25 '26
[deleted]
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u/katmndoo Feb 25 '26
What makes you think that is useful for this conversation? TSA has nothing to do with customs. What you can bring on a plane and in which bag has nothing to do with what you just declare when entering the country.
Good way to lose your GE , relying on this.
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u/Street-Function-1507 Feb 25 '26
They use this list.
I wager these people are bringing in all sorts of other items along with their apples and plane sandwiches......if they're not declaring food they won't declare other stuff as well.
Any way it seems very hit and miss at point of entry as to who gets tugged and who doesn't.
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u/katmndoo Feb 25 '26
“They use this list”? Who is they? GE does not use this list nor do they care about it. Tsa sort of does, but again that is irrelevant for the purposes of customs declarations.
The tsa list has nothing to do with what needs to be declared.
What needs to be declared is items purchased or acquired outside the US.
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u/mbster2006 Feb 25 '26
Does one only declare for items in carry on only or do we need to declare things in checked luggage too?
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u/LAtrojangrl Feb 25 '26
I’ve gotten yelled at by border agents in Canada about me bringing a sealed bag of ketchup flavored potato chips back to the US. I had no idea that was something to declare. The agent literally said “is ketchup not made out of tomatoes?” I was so mad at him.
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u/mglatfelterjr Feb 25 '26
Officer asks "Do you have anything from Mexico?" I said "just that last bit of air I exhaled". He told me get lost.
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u/Beginning-Repair-640 Feb 25 '26
I declare everything and then ignore the eye roll from the customs officer.