Gatwick vegans beware: British Transport Police (BTP) and the Home Office have made one of their largest busts yet, a huge effort to seize and identify unlabeled powder later tested to be — you guessed it — vegan cake ingredients.As a vehement steak lover, I owe the BTP a debt of gratitude for seizing the substance. All jokes aside, however, this comes as the latest in a trend of airport security officers searching food/food substances (especially in your carry-on bags) to ensure your snacks are just that — snacks. I myself was an unfortunate victim of this, when I packed an entire year’s supply of dog treats into my carry-on bag, only to have them unpacked, individually swabbed, and later needed to repack them myself on the floor of the airport, all in the name of safety.Though vegan flour is certainly an acceptable item to bring on a plane, there are quite a few substances that aren’t. While alcohol over 140 proof is the only item not allowed in either your checked or carry-on bag, liquid restrictions mean that unless you’re looking to dump your pot of honey at TSA, you’ll need to keep it under 3.5oz if you don’t want to check it (the same goes for any kind of spreadable item: peanut butter, yogurt, hummus, etc).At least my lobster is safeWhile large quantities of suspicious vegan powder may seem like an odd thing to bring to the airport, trust us, it’s not. We wrote last year about some of the most ridiculous things TSA has confiscated at security, including: a knife hidden in a shampoo bottle, a cane that contained a sword and a mortar round:Please leave your dangerous items at home, guysMost recently, the TSA had decided (and undecided) to confiscate the stylized Coca-Cola bottles served at Disney’s Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, whose shapes look very similar to, well, grenades:Image courtesy of DisneyAll of this is to say: be aware of what you’re bringing to the airport. Whether it’s a mountain of flour, an interestingly shaped souvenir or a knife hidden in your shampoo bottle, check regulations and make sure you’re good to fly so you can save yourself (and TSA) a mountain of hassle.Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.(Featured photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)
