I had to drive my in-laws to the airport in Montreal yesterday, so on the way back home, I stopped at an IGA to pick up yummy Canadian food for my husband (and me to steal from him!!!!). I was pretty careful in what I chose, just buying chips, candy bars, canned soup, beer and Kraft dinner. I figured that packaged foods would be safe to bring across the border and I wouldn't get in trouble at the crossing. So, I avoided all the yummy looking cheeses, freshly made sauces and frozen foods that I have never seen before and was curious to try.

So, at the border, the very nice guard asked what I was bringing back and we chatted for a bit about Canadian junk foods. Then she asked if I had any beef or citrus fruits. That's it! So, does that mean I can bring other foods across as long as they are not beef or citrus fruits? I am not sure where I got the idea that it would be difficult to bring more foods across the border.

By the way, I am eating ketchup chips as I type and have a Kraft dinner taste testing planned for tonight My hubby swears it tastes different from American Kraft macaroni and cheese. Maybe I will blindfold him for the true taste testing experience

generally speaking, you can't bring across any raw unpackaged meats, or fruits or vegetables. Anything processed and packaged is usually acceptable.

There most definitely IS a difference in the Canadian KD over the American Mac & Cheese. Read the labels, the ingredients aren't even the same.

http://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/ph....php?p_faqid=82 (for zyggy's sake )

Many fruits and vegetables are either prohibited from entering the United States or require an import permit (for commercial importers) or a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin. Every fruit or vegetable must be declared to a CBP Officer and must be presented for inspection - no matter how free of pests it appears to be. Failure to declare food products can result in a $10,000 fine. See special guidelines for produce from Canada below.

Meats, livestock, poultry, and their products are either prohibited or restricted from entering the United States, depending on the animal disease condition in the country of origin. Fresh meat is generally prohibited from most countries. Canned, cured, or dried meat is severely restricted from some countries. See special guidelines for animal products from Canada below, and our Q&A on meat, poultry and swine products for a more complete discussion of food items from those sources.

Bakery items, candy, chocolate, and cured cheese are generally admissible. Canned goods and goods in vacuum packed jars (other than those containing meat or poultry products)are also generally admissible if being imported for personal use.

Dairy items such as milk, yogurt, butter are generally admissible, although this is subject to change, depending on disease outbreaks. Eggs may be admissible, although frequent outbreaks of Exotic Newcastles Disease and avian flu make it very likely that they will be denied entry. Hard cured cheese such as parmesan or cheddar are generally admissible, soft cheeses such as brie and soft curd cheese and cheese in water(ricotta, feta, etc.) are not.

Cooked and raw poultry is now allowed from Canada.

Fish, if it is for your personal use, is generally admissible.

Condiments such as oil, vinegar, mustard, catsup, pickles, syrup, honey, jelly, jam, etc., are generally admissible.

Fruits and vegetables grown in Canada are generally admissible, if they have labels identifying them as products of Canada. Fruits and vegetables merely purchased in Canada are not necessarily admissible, ie. citrus or tropical fruits such as mangos, which clearly were not grown in Canada because it does not have a climate that supports those crops. (Potatoes from western regions of Canada are currently restricted because of a disease outbreak. While commercial imports are permitted under stringent guidelines, travelers from Canada should avoid bringing raw potatoes with them into the US).

Currently NO RUMINANT PRODUCTS FROM CANADA MAY ENTER THE U.S. without a permit. This includes frozen, cooked, canned or otherwise processed beef, lamb, and veal. Hunter harvested game is admissible from Canada for the traveler's personal use if accompanied with a permit. For more information on hunter harvested game visit the USDA website.

Pork and pork products are not admissible from Mexico.

Other then the above general guidelines, it is impossible to advise you in this forum about the admissibility of specific food items because it is so susceptible to change. Disease and pest outbreaks, which impact the admissibility status of fresh and packaged food items, occur all over the world at a moments notice.

Failure to declare all food products can result in civil penalties.

Because CBP inspectors are stationed at ports of entry and along our land and sea borders, they are often called upon to enforce laws and requirements of other government agencies. Because of the complexities of regulations governing the importation of food, CBP officers may need to contact an expert for information about what is or is not admissible. If no expert is available, food may be detained in the interest of preventing possible food-borne diseases into the U.S. This is done to protect community health, preserve domestic plant and animals life, etc.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture establishes criteria for the admissibility of plant, dairy and meat products returning with travelers and they have the final say about what may be admitted into the U.S. The USDA web site: Click on Travelers' Tips has somewhat more detailed information for travelers, and they can be contacted at 301-734-8896 for information about the admissibility of plant or plant products.

I haven't tried the American version yet! I did find a box once in Mels cupboard- I was going to make it but I noticed that it was 3 years over the expiry date. Gross.

I spent that day cleaning out the cupboard and throwing lots of stuff out.

so funny- my hubbie had a homemade hamburger taken from him at the border once......haha, he asked if he could eat it now then cross, so much for taking home a lunch!

I cross the border all the time with groceries...you can't bring across any citrus fruits, beef and beef products. I did have avocados once and they said OK that time, but not next time. I don't know exactly what the deal was with that....but I don't buy them in Canada anymore. Keep in mind though I live in a small area and cross the border about 4 times/week...they know me and I have never ever had a problem.
JMO

I get the beef, but not the citrus fruits. Aren't the oranges available in Canada grown in the U.S. anyway? (Oh, the citrus groves of Whitehorse...)

I know what you mean. But that is one of the questions they always ask. I think (guessing) that it might be due to the fact that the USA is thee place for citrus growers and that my oranges at home were grown there....lol. I do know my future in-laws (USC) bought oranges in Canada and brought them across with no problems....so they looked at me funny when I told them I could not bring them down for them.

but if you get oranges that were maybe imported from say South America, they may have something on them that is not friendly to American citrus. er sumthin...who knows. They wouldn't let my friend bring any venison sausages either. They're mean

Well it all has to do with parasites and such. Hey you can't even bring oranges or apples into California from Arizona or Nevada. Since California has the agricultural check points near their borders. It's generally to protect their crops from foreign disease and pests.

We had to go through a check point once in Mexico too for agriculture, got through that only to end up loosing our banana they didn't see to the US border guards. They're very picky. Now with mad cow disease in Canada, I'm surprised if they'd let any beef product in from there now...

yup, defintly a difference... I usually add some real cheese to the American Mac & Cheese and it doesn't taste to bad...

also Heinz Ketchup is different down here too... last time I was in Canada I bought a tin of Heinz Ketchup and packed it in my checked bag... we went to a little airport and it looked like they were going through everyone's checked luggage.. If they went through mine I wondered what they were thinking when they saw my tin of Ketchup

I do know they let beef on the hoof come across the border, but only between certain ages. I remember growing up and my uncle a USC always coming up around Christmas time eating ALL of our Japanese oranges....they never got them where they lived and apparently he liked them ALOT..lol.
I did drive an 18 wheeler for a short time and yes I do remember the agriculture checks at Cal state line...gosh, I had almost forgot about that. I guess with age...memory fades!!!

I had KD the other night for the first time and I agree, better than American mac & cheese. Guess I am going to be making grocery runs across the border for KD from now on.

I brought a live lobster back to Ontario from Maine (on the greyhound). I had a 4 hour wait in Boston too and had to take my lobster out with me while I did a quick tour of the city (they didn't have lockers). I just thought that was an interesting tidbit to share (even though it doesn't apply).

I always get in trouble for trying to bring fruit into Mexico (just apples in my carry-on). Sometimes they don't say anything, other times they confiscate it. It's all about country of origin. I also had problems shipping a box that said "eggs" on the outside of the box. Even though I wasn't shipping eggs, apparently US customs doesn't want anything that once had eggs in it for fear of bird flu!

I buy Organic Ketchup now. I don't get home enough to do all my grocery shopping and ordering on-line is more expensive than buying organic. Heinz has an organic ketchup, when I can find it. But now Full Circle is pretty much everywhere around here, so I get that.

There's no high fructose corn syrup in organic products.