Southwest Employee Goes Viral Confirming You Can Bring Food Through TSA, and Travelers Are Sharing Their Wildest Hauls

If you have ever stared down a sixteen-dollar airport sandwich and felt your soul leave your body, this viral TikTok is for you. A Southwest Airlines employee who posts as @brandithecsa shared a video on June 27 reminding travelers that solid food is fair game at TSA checkpoints. The video pulled in over 122,000 likes, and the comment section quickly turned into a showcase of the most chaotic in-flight meals imaginable.

Travelers flooded the post with stories of what they have successfully carried through security: whole charcuterie boards, Chicago-style pizza, multiple cheesecakes, brisket, and one person who claims to have brought twelve dozen tamales on a flight. Ice is also allowed, which surprised basically everyone. The creator did flag one important caveat though: items like peanut butter, yogurt, and mashed potatoes can be treated as liquids under the 3-1-1 rule, and TSA officers may pull food out of your bag for extra screening. One commenter learned that the hard way when their burrito got unwrapped at the checkpoint.

The takeaway is simple. Airport food is expensive and limited, so packing your own snacks is a legit money-saving travel hack. Just know the rules, keep your liquids in check, and maybe double-wrap the brisket. Have you ever brought something ridiculous through TSA? Tell us about it in the comments.