Bringing Food in Luggage to the UK

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, but I've been reading & enjoying the boards for the last few weeks.  My husband & I will be moving temporarily (for about 6 months) from the US to London in 2 weeks.  After reading the food posts & knowing that some US items are hard or impossible to find there, I was wondering what kinds of foods I'm allowed to pack in my luggage without any problems.

For example, can I pack Rice a Roni, Mac & Cheese or similar rice or pasta packages either in boxes or envelopes?  Can I bring cans or envelopes of white tuna or salmon?  How about cookies or crackers?  And do I have to do anything to declare that I have food in my luggage?  Are there certain categories of food items which are definitely not allowed?  I'm not looking to bring anything frozen or perishable.

I'm just trying to get an idea of what is allowed & what isn't, but I haven't found any websites to help me out.  If you know of general guidelines or if you can point me to a particular website, I'd really appreciate it! 

Thanks!

I don't know about going to UK but I brought a ton of stuff back from the UK and I was never asked about food items. I don't think it's a problem unless you bring something perishable

I know for sure, you can't bring dairy, fruit/veg or meats into the UK.  Not sure about tuna, I don't see why not, it's canned (Or pouched) but truthfully I think the tuna here is much the same (Yes, my opinion some people might disagree)  Mac and cheese, rice etc, is just fine.

Thanks so much for the replies!

Anytime, come by the Welcome Wagon and introduce yourself so we can welcome you.

This link tells you exactly what you can and cant bring into the UK

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageImport_ShowContent&propertyType=document&columns=1&id=HMCE_PROD_009841#P19_2931

http://importdetails.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Location=None&Module=IDDSearch - This link tells you specifically how much you can bring per person (a child has a food import allowance too, this is food that is for personal consumption only. Children do not have an alcohol allowance)

So, yes you can bring in pouches of tuna - up to 1kg per person. Cookies, dried foods ie Mac n Cheese, Chips, rice a roni are all unrestricted items but are counted in your baggage allowance so don't go crazy lol

I bring food back and forth every time. Including meat -- but it's packaged, like American bacon and Jimmy Dean country sausage (freeze them hard before I leave). When they ask, I tell them truthfully, including about the meat, and I've never had a problem. One Customs official said, "we're just looking for stuff like suitcases full of raw monkey meat." Which, for the record, I've never tried to smuggle through. I think they *could* get heavy about alot of what I've carried, though.

No plants or seeds that could take root. And they got mighty tetchy during the whole hoof and mouth thing.

Hi Tude... 

If you're only going to be here for 6 months, i think it's kind of sad that you're planning to bring all this American stuff with you. 

Its only my opinion, of course, but i feel like if you are only here for a short time, you should be trying to absorb as much 'British experience' as you can.

Im not saying that people in the UK should not bring/eat US food, but... it just sounds like you're already preparing for not liking the food over here, and that's a shame.

I suppose i could be wrongly making an assumption that this is your first time in the UK...   Perhaps you have been here before and have already discovered that you cant stomach our food?   

No matter what  you decide to eat, i hope you enjoy your time over here.   

I was kind of thinking the same thing. Can't you do without Rice-a-Roni for six months?? LOL! I've never had it and have therefore never been tempted by it, so maybe I don't "get" the appeal, but it seems to me that this would be a great opportunity for you to experience a new and different culture and try new and different foods!

Thanks for the info & links, everyone.

Hey Quarter & Belindaloo, that's not it at all.  We've been to London before for about 2 1/2 weeks & tried quite a few good things there.  Everyone I talk to here thinks we'll be miserable because of the food there, but I tell them that's not the case.  I think England still has a bad reputation even though you've obviously made great strides in cuisine.  We enjoyed lots of fine meals & desserts too.  Our favorite was the treacle sponge with pudding!  Not sure if I spelled it right, though.

I'm not planning to bring a lot, maybe just a select few things to have on hand.  I'm looking at the food in my kitchen cabinets that I won't be able to finish before we leave, so I may want to bring some of those smaller items with me.  I don't actually want to bring Rice a Roni, but I figured that was the best way to describe the product I do want to bring so you'd know what I was talking about, as you've probably never heard of it.  I don't even buy Rice a Roni, lol.  I don't get its appeal either.

I'm actually looking forward to all the time we'll have to try new things, but it's also nice to have some comfort foods that remind you of home sometimes.

I'm not planning to bring a lot, maybe just a select few things to have on hand.  I'm looking at the food in my kitchen cabinets that I won't be able to finish before we leave, so I may want to bring some of those smaller items with me.  I don't actually want to bring Rice a Roni, but I figured that was the best way to describe the product I do want to bring so you'd know what I was talking about, as you've probably never heard of it.  I don't even buy Rice a Roni, lol.  I don't get its appeal either.

Yes, that makes sense. And, yes, you spelled treacle pudding properly! That makes you an honorary English person!

if you cook tude, think larger scale like seasonings, sauces, mixes you like. those tend to weigh less, last longer and take up less room than cans of tuna and boxes.

besides, we all know it is impossible for a person to pack 6 months of food so there is no harm in some home comfort foods just to tide them over, most people do it. sometimes it is just knowing you have an item that helps with adjustment while you are figuring the ins and outs of shopping... I've got a bag of fat milk chocolate chips in my cupboard I just like to look at  

ah your post beat mine trude! nothing wrong with comfort! 

besides, we all know it is impossible for a person to pack 6 months of food so there is no harm in some home comfort foods just to tide them over, most people do it.

Im not so sure it's impossible! 
I recently visited a friend down in Surrey who has just moved over here on a corporate relocation.   I foolishly took her a small bag of goodies from Lupe Pintos, thinking she would be missing certain things.   

I was BLOWN AWAY when i saw the inside of her cupboards, and fridge...  Bisquick, Betty Crocker cake mixes, Rice A Roni, Kraft mac & cheese, a hundred packets of taco seasoning mix, tins of Rosarita refried beans, Mrs Butterworth, Karo, Peter Pan peanut butter, Hidden Valley ranch dressing, Jiffy cornbread mix, Marie Callendar cornbread mix, Sue-Bee honey... cant remember what else, but there was NOTHING British in her cupboards except milk, cheese and bread.

 

"corporate relocation" AKA "someone else paid for their excess luggage fees"