U.S. Customs

This evening was another hot session of mushroom club with lots of pretty pictures of mushrooms in situ.

I came late, so I missed the pre-lecture show-and-tell. At the meetings close, I checked out the specimen table where one member picked up something and gave it to me. "Do you know what this is?" As my sleepy brain started to consider, someone new answered the question, "We believe it is a truffle, which we confiscated from a passenger." "Oh, of course, you can only bring dried mushrooms." "Actually, now you can bring fresh mushrooms as well unless they are from Turkey." "So if dry and fresh are allowed, then why was it confiscated?" "Principally because it had a considerable amount of soil clinging to it; which is not allowed."

This Customs Officer, now part of Homeland Security and not Treasury, was a USDA inspector until 9-11 when his duties, and his person, were transferred to Customs. We had a very engaging conversation where I learned quite a bit:

- Foie gras raw is unacceptable to import, classified as poultry it must be cooked and sealed in can; not a vacuum packed bag. I know of people who have tried to bring the raw variant; who had to leave it behind. It's always good to ask, since regulations do change.
- Raw cheeses are fine, however there is a pourable cheese (from France) which is prohibited. I asked what the name may be, he indicated he didn't know because none had been identified and pulled on his watch. Would anyone know what cheese he may be referring to?
- Fruit products like Durian are not allowed as suitcase imports. Commercial imports with proper certification and preparation are allowed.
- Don't even consider bringing beef products (with few exceptions) in any shape or form, its just not going to happen.
- Sausages not processed in cans or vacuum packed are unacceptable. He noted the subtrafuge some people will go to: slicing in disks, then inserting them into a candy box. As the garlic wafts, they still claim it is candy.
- Caviar: no more than 250 grams per person. If you have more than that, then it is confiscated. Earlier there was no such limitation.

To import sausage commercially, he mentioned there is a sausage producer fin Spain who sent USDA inspectors to his plant. He imports his pigs from the United States. Under these conditions he has certification to import sausages to the United States. Very high hoops to jump and certainly expensive.

I so impressed with the volume of interesting information and anecdotes, I suggested this inspector might want to be a speaker. I then learned there is the possibility of a conducted tour at Customs. The tour would include how they process people, their laboratories as well as their rogues gallery of confiscated stuff. For me, it would an interesting opportunity to not only learn more about the parameters of what foods one can and cannot import. It's learning why these goods are prohibited that grabs my attention. Certainly the anecdotes of people's attempts to bring these goods anyway is of interest, too.

If there is an interest in a conducted tour of Customs, then please comment here. If it is more than just me-myself-and-I, then I will contact them and set a date on the Events Board.

I thought any raw-milk cheese aged less than 60 days was unacceptable for import.

that is why "real" brie, camembert, etc. cannot be found in US stores.

I found this webpage quite interesting:

U.S. Embassy, London, U.K.

As somewhat of an aside, I have friends that traveled to South Africa recently. On their return flight, and a half-hour before landing, the pilot notified the passengers that--should they be in possession of any biltong--they must either turn in over to a flight steward or consume it immediately.

Thankfully, my friends were noncompliant. Shortly after returning, they hosted a biltong party at their home, and I got to sample a few different types of wild game biltong.

Erik M.

Simon wrote:I thought any raw-milk cheese aged less than 60 days was unacceptable for import.

that is why "real" brie, camembert, etc. cannot be found in US stores.

I believe it is only unacceptable for commercial import. You can bring it in as a consumer up to a certain amount (5lbs?)

that's great news. It's eventually going to inspire a trip to France.

One of Steingarten's two books (I think the more recent one with the hideous smiley face) had his column with a number of tips and experiences sneaking taboo foods into the country. I suspect it's old information given the changes in our government hierarchy that Cathy has noted, but it might be worth reading to prepare some questions for the gendarmes.

Bob S. wrote:One of Steingarten's two books (I think the more recent one with the hideous smiley face) had his column with a number of tips and experiences sneaking taboo foods into the country. I suspect it's old information given the changes in our government hierarchy that Cathy has noted, but it might be worth reading to prepare some questions for the gendarmes.

The book is "It Must Have Been Something I Ate" and the essay is "Cheese Crise" - about bringing young, raw milk cheese into the states. I think the bottom line was that Customs Inspectors have quite a bit of discretion, because no one really understands the rules fully.

The Spanish pork products available here (jamon Serrano, chorizo, lomo, etc) are made using Danish pork, from what I've read in several publications. The problem has/had been that Spain (and Italy) don't/didn't have USDA approved pork processing facilities. Of course, Denmark, Poland and other places in Europe do. At least one Spanish brand of Chorizo in addition to Palacios is now available.

Lucky for us, Palacios, from Rioja, is damn fine sausage. My life got a lot better in recent years when Palacios started showing up at La Unica and real mortadella (Parmacotto brand) appeared at Caputos.


http://www.tienda.com/food/chorizo.html ... &lpos=lnav

The mystic, acorn-fed wild pork of Spain will have to wait, I guess. In the meantime, we'll make do with stuff that mostly originates in Denmark. Here's something about commercial prosciutto and the specific breed of Danish porker that makes it (one might assume the same breed is used for US-bound jamon):

http://www.mmdtkw.org/VProsciutto.html

Note in the above that US-bound ham is significantly longer-aged due to USDA regs.

I've never been a huge fan of palacios. It's a good product, but it has always felt a little dry for my tastes. I like something with a little more fat and a little more moisture in it.

Any suggestions?

My wife and I were coming back from our most recent trip to France, sadly about 7 years ago, and I had a fine selection of raw-milk cheeses in my bag. As we waited for our suitcases, the search dog took a liking to my bag, and when I told the officer, somewhat nervously, that I had cheese, he laughed and said all he was concerned with was explosives, and that he could tell by the dog's reaction that it was food, not weapons. Since I had the cheese, and I wasnt trying to hide it, we went to the Ag dept line, which was empty, and not the regular line, which was long. The first screener yelled out "he is declaring cheese," and put our bags through the xray machine. I asked about the rules, and she said that with cheese, as long as it is an amount that they presume to be for personal consumption, they dont care. If it is enough that they presume it is for resale, they will confiscate it. I had about 8 pounds. The bags were xrayed, never opened, and we were on our way.
-Will

I could see that. My first suggestion is to let the Palacios warm up to room temp. Makes a big difference if the sausage has been in the fridge. Otherwise, the Tienda web site has a fattier, moister, fresher sausage, also from Palacios.

Chorizo with all the pimenton is fairly unique, and Palacios is almost the only game in town. There are decent producers in NJ such as Los Minos. There is an Italian-American producer in NJ who makes a "large format" chorizo (looks like a Genoa salami) that I think you'd like. My in-laws bought some in LA, and I have not seen it here. Can't recall the brand right now. [PS, it's the Soria style sausage sold under the peregrino brand on Tienda.] Portuguese and Hungarian dried sausages can be much the same. Does Paulina still do a dry Hungarian?

I have in my hand before my very eyes, even as we speak, a 10.5 oz pkg of "Navidul Spanish Dry cured Serrano Ham, Product of Spain" that I bought last week at the Costco in Winchester VA. This is the second pkg. The first has already been eagerly gobbled up. It taskes completely authentic.

Obviously, something has changed radically in the last year or so.

Thank the lord of food!
+++++++++++++++++++++

Last summer I brought in a couple of kilos of young, raw-milk cheese I bought in Poland. In Oct I returned from Montreal, with the same sort of thing. Both times I mentioned it to the customs guy, who distractedly waved me off. Basically, they don't care anymore.

Being ignored, in this case, is wonderful...

Debbie and I are going to Paris --on bidness, mostly! --for a couple of weeks in July. Guess what we're going to fill the bags with?

There is absolutely nothing like a raw mild, perfectly ripened French cheese.

And, ruthlessly scrupuluous experimental trials have shown that anything double-creme or over freezes extremely very well.

Geo

Cathy2 wrote:Foie gras raw is unacceptable to import, classified as poultry it must be cooked and sealed in can; not a vacuum packed bag. I know of people who have tried to bring the raw variant; who had to leave it behind. It's always good to ask, since regulations do change.

For clarification: Raw poultry cannot be imported. Cooked poultry may be imported regardless of how it is contained: canned, vacuum packed, wrapped in brown paper or nothing at all. As long as it is cooked, you're fine.

Dead fish are not regulated, so you are free to bring fish without concern for packaging.

IF it is a live fish, then you may need a permit.

Recently I visited Canada and went to a Chinese grocery where I purchased packages of dried shitake mushrooms and other packages dried vegetables for personal consumption.

What are the rules and regulations governing the same as regards permission, US Customs declaration requirements, etc. for bringing in such products? If you have any citations to USDA Regulations or other 'official' publications please provide the cites.

Thanks.

Hi,

I have brought dried mushrooms on a string bought at farmer's markets in Europe. Dried vegetables are ok, too. What they won't accept is living plants or anything with soil clinging to it.

When I imported and exported a broader range of items than I do now, I kept the regulations in my office. I did once look up specifically dried mushrooms to learn they were acceptable. Due to my business activities, I am not in a position to fudge on the regulations because of the headaches it would produce thereafter. Once on the watch list, then you are reviewed in detail each and everytime until they are satisfied.

Once I brought ten loaves of Russian black bread back from Moscow. As I am waiting for my suitcases, the Ag beagle politely sat next to me. I knew that was how he was trained to behave when he found a live target. I immediately informed the Ag officer of my ten loaves of bread, which were already on my declaration. He interview me a bit more, then signed me off.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:...

This works in verse:

I have brought
dried mushrooms on a string
bought at farmer's markets
in Europe.

Dried vegetables
are ok,
too.

Very nice!

When I was in Spain last December, I contacted the US Department of Agriculture (directed there by US Customs), and was told that the only way that Jamon Iberico could be brought in is if it was purchased directly from a processor who could supply an inspection certificate. Since I wasn't about to go out to the hinterlands, and I didn't want to bring back a whole leg (well, yes I did, but I didn't want to pay for one), that wasn't going to happen.

For specifics on what you can bring back and the corresponding fees, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at http://www.cbp.gov (Click on "Travel," and then click on "Know Before You Go! Online Brochure.") Or contact the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667) and request the pamphlet.