Back From Vietnam With Illicit Imports : Tips for Travelers
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Bringing food, plant, and animal products into the United States is not a cut-and-dried certainty. Some guidelines:
FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND PLANTS
PERMITTED:
Dried fruits
Some bulbs and flowers
Canned vegetables
Polished rice, beans and tea
Breads, cakes and cookies
Candies
Some dried herbs
Mushrooms
NOT PERMITTED:
Most fresh fruits
Plants with the root and soil intact
Some types of seeds
Curry leaves, citrus peels
Chestnuts
****
LIVE ANIMALS AND BIRDS
May only enter with proper certification, permit and inspection, and must pass quarantine rules
****
MEAT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
PERMITTED:
Dried fish and seafood
Cheeses (except cottage cheese)
NOT PERMITTED:
Most animal meats and meat products
Endangered animal products
****
SOIL, SAND, MINERALS AND SHELLS
PERMITTED:
1 ounce of decorative beach sand
Rocks, minerals and shells
NOT PERMITTED:
Soil and sand
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Researched by THAO HUA / Los Angeles Times
