Sending Crackers back the USA. (The Christmas variety)

Hi everyone. We're thinking about sending a package of unusual English items to my newly acquired American extended family for Christmas.

I'd like to include a box of Christmas Crackers, but I have visions of them being stopped at customs because of the minute amount of gunpowder in them.

Am I worrying about nothing or should be on the look-out for gunpowder-free crackers?

Is there anything I should avoid altogether? I know about chocolate eggs and hession bags.

Also, does anyone have any ideas of things Americans might appreciate from England?

Thanks, Snowdon.

I see on the Royal Mail site that you can send Christmas Crackers internationally as long as they are in their original retail packaging.  Not sure about US regulations, though.  Perhaps a courier will be more amenable.  You can get Christmas Crackers in the US and the ones at World Market were pretty similar to the UK ones down to the little Christmas Pudding on the joke paper.

My family always loves getting British candy like Cadburys or Crispy M&Ms (no idea why they discontinued those in the States).  Anything that is quintessentially British will be thrilling.  They got really excited about Christmas Pudding even though my mom was the only one who would eat it. 

Is there anything I should avoid altogether? I know about chocolate eggs and hession bags.

I sent Cadbury chocolate eggs to my adult kids this Easter (even though you can get them in the US and the postage was ridiculous - I thought they'd like getting them from here  )  Is there a problem sending chocolate eggs to the US?

Also, what are hession bags?  I've never heard of them.

So much to learn! 

I've brought Christmas crackers back to the USA several times in my checked bags with no problems ever.  Though now that they are more popular in the US and can be found easily... don't think I will bother! They take up a whole lot of valuable space in my suitcase and I will just order them on ebay! (no one will know the difference) 

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Also, what are hession bags?  I've never heard of them.
So much to learn! 

Hessian is burlap, so to translate, a burlap bag!    I have brought hessian/burlap to and from the UK (in a large ziploc bag)  with no problems either.

My family always loves getting British candy like Cadburys or Crispy M&Ms (no idea why they discontinued those in the States).  Anything that is quintessentially British will be thrilling.  They got really excited about Christmas Pudding even though my mom was the only one who would eat it. 

Exactly! Any sort of candy that is British would be a great treat, my UK nieces/nephews love it when I bring over US only candy for them and vice versa.
Beatlemania, Christmas pudding is an awesome idea! Never thought of bringing that back!
I think the space that is freed up from not having the crackers will be taken up with Christmas pudding! I have never even had Christmas pudding, so it will be a new experience all around   

Apparently the import of Kinder Eggs into the US is banned:

"The 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act contains a section highlighting that a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally embedded within it, cannot be sold within the United States, unless the FDA issues a regulation that the non-nutritive object has functional value. Essentially, the 1938 Act bans “the sale of any candy that has embedded in it a toy or trinket”.

In 2012 the FDA re-issued their import alert stating “The embedded non-nutritive objects in these confectionery products may pose a public health risk as the consumer may unknowingly choke on the object”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Surprise#Prohibition_on_sale_or_import_into_the_United_States

Thank you Stephanie.  If I'd thought that through a bit more I should have figured it out.  I'm feeling just a wee bit silly right now, but I'll blame it on the jet lag - I'm sure there's still a touch of it left after 11 days. 

Thanks sonofasailor.  I do remember that issue awhile back, but obviously is quite separate from my daughter's much loved Cadbury Creme Eggs at Easter.   

Apparently the import of Kinder Eggs into the US is banned:

"The 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act contains a section highlighting that a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally embedded within it, cannot be sold within the United States, unless the FDA issues a regulation that the non-nutritive object has functional value. Essentially, the 1938 Act bans “the sale of any candy that has embedded in it a toy or trinket”.

In 2012 the FDA re-issued their import alert stating “The embedded non-nutritive objects in these confectionery products may pose a public health risk as the consumer may unknowingly choke on the object”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Surprise#Prohibition_on_sale_or_import_into_the_United_States

And yet one of my favorite treats growing up was the Wonderball which definitely had non-edible objects in their center.  Hmmmm...

I was thinking the same thing Beatlemania!

For some reason I remember they stopped putting toys in them at some point and only put candy?

Yeah, I think that did happen.  Those were great.

Thank you Stephanie.  If I'd thought that through a bit more I should have figured it out.  I'm feeling just a wee bit silly right now, but I'll blame it on the jet lag - I'm sure there's still a touch of it left after 11 days. 

Haha! I love jetlag! I blame all my little goof ups on jetlag as I am going back & forth every couple of months so I often actually am jetlagged a lot of the time so I can get away with it! 

** by the way Becca, at first I was like hessian? No, no, no thank you, not hessian, I need burlap please! A yard of burlap  Oh you do meters, not yards, sigh, okay, umm, how many meters in a yard? 

I have no idea many meters are in a yard as I learned the metric system when I was in 3rd grade then promptly forgot it all as I never ever had to use it until almost 40 years later when I arrived in the UK and now I just bumble along trying to figure it all out all over again 

Why can't you take hessian/burlap into the USA?

Haha! I love jetlag! I blame all my little goof ups on jetlag as I am going back & forth every couple of months so I often actually am jetlagged a lot of the time so I can get away with it! 

** by the way Becca, at first I was like hessian? No, no, no thank you, not hessian, I need burlap please! A yard of burlap  Oh you do meters, not yards, sigh, okay, umm, how many meters in a yard? 

I have no idea many meters are in a yard as I learned the metric system when I was in 3rd grade then promptly forgot it all as I never ever had to use it until almost 40 years later when I arrived in the UK and now I just bumble along trying to figure it all out all over again 

Yeah, I just love the jet lag excuse! 

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure mine does last about 3 to 4 months and no one seems to believe me!!! 

 

I'm pretty sure I'll never adjust to the metric system - and I taught it to 5th graders in the US for several years!  I was out planting bulbs and the instructions said to plant them 10 cm deep.  How embarrassing that I had to get up, shake the dirt off, go into the house to get a ruler in inches and centimeters just to find out it was the same as 4 inches!!!   

Why can't you take hessian/burlap into the USA?

Oh, yes - that was what I wanted to know too!

...after I found out what hessian was anyway 

Yeah, I just love the jet lag excuse! 

Unfortunately I'm pretty sure mine does last about 3 to 4 months and no one seems to believe me!!! 

 

I'm pretty sure I'll never adjust to the metric system - and I taught it to 5th graders in the US for several years!  I was out planting bulbs and the instructions said to plant them 10 cm deep.  How embarrassing that I had to get up, shake the dirt off, go into the house to get a ruler in inches and centimeters just to find out it was the same as 4 inches!!!   

Oh, yes - that was what I wanted to know too!

...after I found out what hessian was anyway 

I believe you Becca!  Jetlag can last for months and months, I am sure it must be a medical fact! 

Haha I would have had to do the same thing you did unless DH was within shouting distance of the garden!      I now keep a measuring tape next to my side of the sofa in the UK for just that reason  We also have a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer in celsius & farenheit that I brought over from Lowe's as it got old real fast trying to figure out celsius on top of everything else! 

I finally did a google search about this burlap/hessian bag thing, I couldn't find anything saying that you couldn't transport it on a plane?    I have brought it back & forth several times as I make rag rugs and use it as a backing for the rug and never had a problem, so I dunno what it is all about?