IMPORTANT...shipping food to the states

Not sure where this should go. Feel free to move...

I just found out today that after Dec 12 there are going to be major changes if you ship food to the states. You will have to complete an online form before shipping any food items to the states after this date.

I was wondering why customs was going to remove the chocolate from the box I sent my mom 3 weeks ago. Luckily I squeaked by under the old guidelines.

Here's some info:
From 12th December, 2003 the US Government is introducing new laws about sending food and drink in to the USA.

Before posting any food-stuffs to the USA you may need to complete an online form to pre-advise the US authorities of its arrival. After completing this form it should take about 15 minutes to receive your prior notification reference number; from the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) which needs to be included on the usual Customs form; click here for more Customs information  

This applies to any manufactured food or drink for either humans or animals but does not apply to homemade foods being sent as a personal gift to individual people in the USA but you should clearly indicate this on the Customs form that this the case. If you don't do this your parcels or packets containing food or drink may be returned to you or even destroyed.

You can post food items to the USA by Royal Mail without pre-
notifying the US authorities until 12th December, 2003 which coincides with our recommended last posting date for Christmas by Airmail to the USA. After this date items containing manufactured food will not be accepted by Royal Mail or at your local Post Office; without the relevant pre-notification details.

This move by the US Government is to help protect the USA from the possibility of a bio-terrorist attack via food items sent in to the country by post and applies to all countries around the world.

Um - if I were going to introduce a bio-terrorist attack via food I think I'd send something homemade to an individual person (or various individual persons).  You'd think that something store-bought and already packaged would be LESS suspicious...

but its still ok to bring it in your suitcase?
interesting...

Yep...this is w/ Royal Mail, so it only affects what you post to the states. I just wish I had some warning that this was going into affect before I posted a box full of chocolate!!

Thats Ok ..just heard on the news that fruit-cake ( yeah fruitcake!) has been banned on all U.S commercial airliners. Seems the ingrediants either can't be screened properly or theyre afraid something more sinister could actually be concealed within it. Personally I think it's just someone way up in the department of Homeland Security that was forced to eat the stuff when they were a kid.......

P.S.....but then again......since most fruit-cakes have the consistency of a 5 lb. side-walk brick maybe they've got a point

Thats Ok ..just heard on the news that fruit-cake ( yeah fruitcake!) has been banned on all U.S commercial airliners. Seems the ingrediants either can't be screened properly or theyre afraid something more sinister could actually be concealed within it. Personally I think it's just someone way up in the department of Homeland Security that was forced to eat the stuff when they were a kid.......

P.S.....but then again......since most fruit-cakes have the consistency of a 5 lb. side-walk brick maybe they've got a point

LOL, how funny!

I have said it for years...and will stand by my thoughts...the only thing a fruitcake is good for is getting traction under your tires in a snow storm...

lol That is too funny about the fruit cake.

I'm crossing my fingers that my package arrives at my mom's tomorrow...w/ the chocolate still in it. At least I didn't send any fruit cake.

Oh man! I just bought fruitcake as gifts for the folks in the US we're visiting this month.

Back to the shops.  :-/

(Thanks for the info Celtic...keeps the embarassment factor at the airport down.)

Thanks for the information.  Does anyone know where this website is we need to apply to?  I send stuff back and forth all year long.  What a pain this will be now.

Here it is -- and it's a lulu :
http://www.royalmail.com/portal/default/all/home?paf_dm=full&paf_gear_id=100002&paf_gear_state=con_content&xmlPath=/docContent/xml/04__Business/02__International_services/13__Airmail/085__Sending_food_to_the_USA.xml

Thanks Kately,
I have a bunch of things I was getting ready to send back home to my youngest son.  He loves getting packages of things from over here.  I will check out that site.
Thanks again,
Thistledew

Oh My Gosh !  I just checked it out and it sure is a lulu.  I cannot believe that.  Oh well I guess I will be getting Prior Notice from now on  before I send things. Thanks again for the info.
Thistledew