International Traveler: Meats, Poultry, and Seafood (2024)

FAQs

What food may increase your risk of foodborne illness along with meats poultry and seafood? ›

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs or unpasteurized milk may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Our Caesar dressing contains raw eggs. FYI, consumption of raw eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness.

Meat and Animal Products and Byproducts

Many fresh, dried, and some canned meats and meat byproducts are prohibited entry into the United States from foreign countries because of the continuing threat of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), and other animal diseases.

Raw meat, poultry and fish should be stored in the following top-to-bottom order in the refrigerator: whole fish, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meats and fish, and whole and ground poultry. Wrap food properly before storing it. Leaving food uncovered can lead to cross- contamination.

Surprisingly, there aren't tight restrictions on fish and seafood, as long as they're personal quantities. If so, then canned, smoked, dried and frozen are all acceptable, and even fresh fish is allowed. (However, if you're flying, your seatmates may not appreciate this fact.)

Notice: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. Oysters on the half shell* Fried shrimp Flounder François * Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.

Salmonella, Campylobacter and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli are some of the most common foodborne pathogens that affect millions of people annually, sometimes with severe and fatal outcomes. Symptoms can be fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

You may not import fresh, dried or canned meats or meat products from most foreign countries into the United States. Also, you may not import food products that have been prepared with meat.

Travelers may bring the following types of fresh (chilled, frozen), cooked, cured, or dried meats from Canada: beef, bison, veal, sheep (lamb, mutton), goat, swine, and camelid. Travelers may also bring personal-use amounts of foods containing beef, veal, or bison.

Meats, Poultry, and Seafood You CAN and CANNOT Bring Back to the United States. USDA does not allow travelers to bring back most cattle, swine, sheep or goat meat or meat products from countries affected with certain serious livestock diseases: Foot-and-mouth disease.

If you regularly refrigerate foods unwrapped or uncovered, you may want to ditch the habit, says Le. Some microorganisms (such as molds and yeasts) can thrive in the cold temperature of the refrigerator, where they can circulate in the air and land on food.

Can you cook raw meat and cooked meat together? ›

Cooking can kill most food poisoning organisms – it is important not to spread the organisms from the raw food back to the cooked food. Keeping raw and cooked food separate stops the bacteria from raw food re-contaminating cooked food.

For raw ground meats, poultry, seafood and variety meats (liver, tongue, chitterlings, etc.), refrigerate them only 1 to 2 days before either cooking or freezing. Beef, veal, lamb and pork roasts, steaks and chops may be kept 3 to 5 days.

If egg or poultry items are commercially packaged, cooked, shelf-stable, or “thoroughly cooked throughout,” they may be allowed through no matter what country they come from. Remember that it is up to the agents at the border to make decisions like whether something looks “thoroughly cooked.”

Since olive oil is classified as a condiment derived from a vegetable, it does not fall into any of these major inadmissible categories; therefore, it is a safe assumption that the transportation of olive oil for personal and private consumption is accepted in your country.

Nuts are allowed if they have been boiled, cooked, ground, oven dried, pureed, roasted, or steamed. Additionally, nuts free from their shells are permitted. This includes popular options such as almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts. Also Read: When on a long vacation – how to fold clothes for packing.

Foods Associated with Foodborne Illness

Raw foods of animal origin, that is, raw meat and poultry, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, and raw shellfish are the most likely to be contaminated.

Foods to Avoid

If you are at greater risk of foodborne illness, you are advised not to eat: Raw or undercooked meat or poultry. Raw fish, partially cooked seafood (such as shrimp and crab), and refrigerated smoked seafood. Raw shellfish (including oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops) and their juices.

If you wash meat or poultry, some bacteria can be splashed on the surfaces of your kitchen, which can make you sick if not properly cleaned and sanitized.