Flying isn’t exactly an enjoyable experience that most people want to do on a regular basis.
You have to try everything to keep yourself happy and entertained during long periods of time in the air. I find that having snacks is a great way to keep your mind occupied but not every snack is the same in the eyes of airport security.
So can you bring Gummy Bears as carry-on?
You should have no trouble taking Gummy Bears on the plane with you. Should is the operative word because there is a chance that softened gummy bears, because of heat, become more like a gel. If your yummy, yummy, Gummy Bear has gone all gooey on you, then there is a fair chance they might be assigned the liquid category and refused.
However, with Gummy Bears specifically, there are a few nuances because you could argue for the candy being both solid and a gel-like substance.
Here are a few answers to some common questions that may give you a general idea about Gummy Bears on an airplane.
Table of Contents
What Can I Bring on an Airplane?
You could pretty much bring anything you want as long as you disclose it beforehand and you check it in… Ok that isn’t complete true but if you take the U.S. for instance, having a gun in a checked bag is no big deal if flying domestically!
Crazy right?
Now carry-ons are a different story altogether. If you want to put things in your carry on and don’t know if it’s ok, well then you have come to the right place!
In general, avoid taking the obvious culprits like weapons and sharp objects. When it comes to liquids and gels you have to stick to the 3-1-1 rule.
I went over this in another article but essentially you are allowed to have a 3.4oz or 100ml bottle of pre-approved liquids and gels all comfortably sealed in a small one quart or one-liter transparent plastic zip-bag. Phew, that was a mouthful.
Different nations have different regulations but the 3-1-1 rule goes for most developed countries around the world.
There are of course some weird things that are allowed in your carry on luggage which make you question everything.
Things like full-sized dear antlers are allowed by the TSA if they fit in your carry on.
Yep, you heard me correctly, you can’t carry scissors longer than four inches but full scale sharp dear antlers are totally fine!
Can I Bring Snacks in my Carry On?
The TSA really has no problem with your candies and snacks.
Despite the terrible stories you may have heard about airport security, and the few rumors that I’ve been spreading, for the most part, you can get away with a lot.
With most bureaucratic organizations you can almost cheat the system and depending on what cards you’re dealt you can get off easy. Getting pulled over by the police could end up in you getting a warning, a ticket, or in the worst case arrested.
With airport security, there is no such room for negotiation. Because of the high-risk environment, security personnel take their jobs very seriously, as they should!
In general, most of your solid snacks are ok like chips and pretzels. Solid candies are totally cool too if you’re into that kind of thing…
You could pretty much bring all the ingredients for a sandwich and make yourself a hoagie on the plane. The other passengers would probably hate you for putting raw onions, garlic, and dried tuna on a deli sub but hey who cares!
Can I Bring Candy in my Carry On?
In general, candy is ok in your carry on but it’s the type of candy security might have an issue with.
Most if not all of your hard candies are completely fine. Things like mints, Smarties, chocolate bars, M&M’s, Twizzlers, Reese’s, Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, and the like are good to go!
Other dry candy-like items you can bring aboard the plane in large quantities include cookies, cereals, nuts, and raisins.
Because of the 3-1-1 rule, airport security confiscates liquid and gel candy. So it’s not that you can’t take candy on a plane it’s just that the nature of the candy is problematic when it comes to the amount you are allowed to bring on board.
Now, what about Gummy Bears?
What is Gel Candy and What Isn’t?
You would think that sixth-grade science class would have been enough to understand what counts as a liquid and a gel and what doesn’t, but then again you would be surprised.
For instance, airport security around the world won’t allow spreadable foods like peanut butter, hummus, or dipping sauce, even if it’s in the original sealed packaging.
So essentially you could bring burger buns, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, a patty, and solid cheese but you can’t bring a bottle of ketchup lager than 3.4oz to drench your mile high sandwich in.
Speaking of cheese, only the hard stuff is ok. Spreadable products like cream cheese or Cheese Whiz have to abide by the 3-1-1 rule.
Do you see why I don’t like airport security?
So when it comes to Gummy Bears there is a lot of confusion. They are very clearly not liquid but an argument could be made for them not being solid either. Gummy Bears are inherently gelatinous and squishy which is of course what makes them fun but could also be cause for concern.
Some candies like Hugga Bubba’s Squeeze Pops are obviously gels and they come in 4oz tubes which is clearly over the TSA limit.
But things like Gummy Bears, Milk Duds, and Jelly Beans are in the dark – until you open them that is.
After a considerable amount of research, I couldn’t find a concrete answer until I stumbled upon a Sub-Reddit that pointed to the official TSA app! Truth is I started hating the organization a little less after using the app.
The application shoes in real-time with keyword search the exact nature of certain items and whether or not they are allowed as a carry on or check in. Based on the information provided by the TSA, non-melted Gummy Bears are totally fine to bring aboard an airplane.
Vitamin Gummy Bears are also good to go as long as they are in pill or gummy form.
I was curious so I searched the app a bit more because some foods come in both solid and liquid form. Things like peanut butter, which clearly aren’t permissible in bottles over 3.4oz, are ok if they come in solid candy form like in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Similarly, chocolate ganache while clearly comes in liquid form is ok if concealed within truffles or other solid chocolate items. Same with caramel. On its own, melted caramel is a liquid and should be in a 3.4oz bottle but if it’s hardened candy or enclosed by chocolate like a Milk Dud then you should have no problem whatsoever.
Want to something really crazy? You can actually take ice cream aboard a plane if it’s still in a frozen condition… Hey, I don’t make the rules, I just tell you about them.
Non-food items comply with the same rules as above. For instance, if you need to take an ice pack aboard the aircraft then it needs to go through security completely frozen.
What about Cannabis Infused Gummy Bears or Other Edibles?
This one is a huge NO!
Do not under any circumstances travel with marijuana, cannabinoids, or cannabis-infused products, oils, or candies.
Few countries have legalized the recreational or medical use of marijuana and federal law in the United States still classifies the drug as illegal despite partial or full legalization in select states.
So even if you have a doctor’s note that requires you eat a bag of cannabis-infused edible Gummy Bears every hour, do not take it on your carry on. In fact, if you’re going to some country where you can get into some serious trouble, leave the Gummies at home completely.
Bringing your own snacks aboard a plane is a great idea because it keeps you happy, satisfied, and you won’t have to pay ten times what you usually pay for food, at the airport.
So unless you decide to bring an actual bear aboard an aircraft, you should have no problem bringing aboard all your favorite solid snack including delicious and squishy Gummy Bears!