TSA Clarifies: We Consider Peanut Butter To Be Liquid

The New York Times reports:

The Transportation Security Administration thought it had settled a dispute over peanut butter some time ago: unless it is 3.4 fluid ounces or less, it has to be checked. However, the question of what the T.S.A. considers a liquid continues to confuse passengers. It bubbled up again last week when a writer and podcaster tried to board a flight out of Pittsburgh with a jar of Jif natural peanut butter.

“You may not be nuts about it,” the administration’s social media team posted on Instagram, “but T.S.A. considers your PB a liquid. In carry-on, it needs to be 3.4 oz. or less.” The T.S.A.’s reminder included the textbook definition of a liquid: something that “has no definite shape and takes a shape dictated by its container.” By that definition, several people wrote in the post’s comments, cats should not be allowed onboard.

Read the full article.

What exactly is a liquid to the TSA? The question bubbled up again last week when a writer and podcaster tried to board a flight out of Pittsburgh with a jar of Jif peanut butter. https://t.co/s2wgZkBj1c

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 20, 2023