Breadcrumb

1. Home

2. Print 

3. Pdf 

4. Node 

5. Entity Print 

Requirements for Food Served or

Sold in Preclearance Locations

Last Modified: 

Print

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclears U.S.-bound travelers departing

from 15 airports in 6 countries. This allows them to bypass inspection when they

arrive in the United States. Retailers and caterers operating in or serving CBP

preclearance locations must comply with APHIS requirements to ensure that food or

products precleared passengers may take with them will not spread agricultural

pests or diseases to the United States.

This page explains the requirements retailers and caterers must follow. It also lists

the types of foods and agricultural products that retailers and airline caterers may

sell or give to precleared passengers and where to source certain items to comply

with U.S. import regulations. CBP Agriculture Specialists at preclearance locations

inspect and monitor retail facilities and airline catering kitchens to ensure

compliance.

Written Plans for Segregating and Maintaining Food Onsite

Each airline catering kitchen or retail facility located in preclearance areas must

provide written plans to CBP detailing procedures for:
Segregating approved foods from prohibited foods,

Ensuring only approved foods are placed on aircraft with precleared

passengers, and

Ensuring only approved foods and agricultural products are available in

preclearance areas during preclearance operations.

Food service providers and airline caterers must provide updated written plans to

CBP when they change their menus.

For more information, contact the CBP office at the Passenger Preclearance location.

Approved Foods

The following foods may be served without restriction:

Cooked fruits and vegetables

All meat and poultry products, dairy products, and other agricultural products

sourced from the United States

The following animal products sourced from countries other than the United

States:

Thoroughly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs

Processed and solid cheeses (hard or soft) that do not contain meat

Cheeses in brine that do not contain meat

Cooked, shelf-stable meat and poultry products if they were subject to

high temperatures after being sealed in the container and will be given to

passengers in the original container

Other foods approved to remain on the aircraft upon arrival in the United States

Restricted Foods

Fruits and Vegetables

Prepared meals served on the aircraft may contain no more than a few

garnishes consisting of whole berries, grapes, and small cherry tomatoes.

All other fruits and vegetables served on the aircraft must be cut.

Only cut fruits and vegetables may be sold in preclearance areas (no whole

fruits, berries, grapes, or cherry tomatoes).

Non-U.S. Origin Meat and Meat Products
You may source meat and meat products from any facility located in a country that

is listed by APHIS Veterinary Services as free of disease for the type of meat needed.

For pork meat, check the tabs for classical swine fever, African swine fever,

swine vesicular disease, and foot-and-mouth disease.

For beef, goat, or lamb meat, check the tab for foot-and-mouth disease.

If you want to source meat or meat products from a country that is NOT listed as

free of disease, you must source it from a USDA Food Safety and Inspection

Service's eligible foreign establishment in that country.

Food service providers and airline caterers should sign up to receive emails from

APHIS when a country’s animal disease status changes and a menu change is

required. You will have 6 months to make necessary changes to the meat and meat

products offered to precleared passengers.

Other Agricultural Products

No living plants, plant parts for growing (such as seeds, stems, bulbs, or tubers); cut

flowers; cut foliage; or ornamental plant parts (such as fronds, fruit pods, leaves, or

seed heads) may be sold in preclearance areas or used in airline catering.

Food Waste on Precleared Flights

All food waste generated on board flights with precleared passengers, except flights

arriving from Canada, is regulated upon arrival in the United States. See the

Regulated Garbage page for details.

Stay up to date

Sign up to receive the latest information about APHIS requirements for food and

other agricultural products served or sold in passenger preclearance locations.

Subscribe

Questions?