Can I Bring Sweet Corn With Me On A Plane?

If this isn't the most Iowa thing I've ever thought about...

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If you're like me, most of your friends and family might live outside of the state. Whenever I visit my loved ones I have to take in to account a day or two for air travel. Traveling hundreds of miles and spending hours on flights can be draining.

And don't get me started on layovers...

However, in a few weeks I'm going to be making my first visit to the West Coast. I'll be spending time with some of my college friends in California.

When I started planning the trip I decided I wanted to treat them to a taste of Iowa.

The plan is to bring my Los Angeles friends a few ears of sweet corn, and maybe even cook up a few meals for them.

However, I initially worried that I had to somehow have it shipped from here in NE Iowa to California. It turns out that getting it from point a to point b is much easier than I thought.

I can actually pack sweet corn when flying!

According to the Transportation Security Administration fresh fruit and veggies are allowed to be transported in luggage when traveling domestically.

When I pack my ears of corn I'll have to put it in my checked bag before boarding the flight.

The official stance from the TSA is,

"Solid food items (not liquids or gels) can be transported in either your carry-on or checked bags within the continental United States. Liquid or gel food items larger than 3.4 oz are not allowed in carry-on bags and should be placed in your checked bags if possible."

The only time you really can't bring fruits or vegetables on planes when traveling throughout the United States is if you are flying in from outside of the continental U.S.

According to the TSA Food Guidelines,

"Passengers flying from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland cannot take most fresh fruits and vegetables due to the risk of spreading invasive plant pests."