my great neice was married in California I could not go but mailed gumpaste flowers. Oldest sis made the cake ( her granddaughter)

My youngest sis flew out to help The wedding and cake were wonderful


so the trip home. sis packs some left over fondant in her suitcase and a small box or fondant daisies left from peti fours.

she gets to the security and they call for a superviser FAST Luckily she says could it be the fondant and they ask what that is... she explains and says I can eat some to show you.. describe where it is so she did the blow dryer ( wires) then fondant ( plastic explosives) and then a box of flowers BOMB

They let her go and did say do not travel with fondant again LOL


Could have been worse If I had gone with her I have a replacement knee and would have set off the metal detector

LOL, that is hilarious, it is so funny what they stop you for sometimes, but the time I forgot I had 14 razors in my carry-on, go ahead m'am!

I never thought that fondant could be mistaken for plastic explosives! It was funny to read about, but probably not so funny to experience.

Thanks for the tip - I have taken fondant on long trips to see family before, but we have been driving lately. (Good thing).

A year or two ago, I saw an episode of Burn Notice (about spies, if you haven't seen it) where the main character used fondant to simulate plastic explosives to trick an enemy spy... So I guess it's more than the people at the airport!

That is funny. Thanks for the laugh.

I'm sure you didn't find that experience in the least bit funny. At least, they allowed you to continue on with the fondant. Thank Goodness you didn't have a cell phone packed in the same suit case, you'd still be there. I promise to never travel with fondant. I feel an attack of the giggles coming on.

Wow! I did the same thing in June (to and back from California) for my sister's wedding and I took fondant both ways with no problem! I just had it in ziplocs. I also had tons of decorating tools, spatulas, even an exacto in the check in. I couldn't believe they didn't stop me. I was totally prepared to be treated like a menace but all I had was a security note in my bag saying they had inspected it.

i know people who have been stopped, and have their fondant taken off them. apparently if its sealed in its original bag it should be ok - but i think it depends on the security.
xx

That's crazy! Who knew that fondant could be so dangerous. Hehe. Good to know though. As fondant is expensive, and I DON'T want them taking it from me.

I thought about that when they were handing out sample packages of fondant at ICES - I told my roommate that I bet a LOT of folks got stopped at the airport for it looking like plastic explosives!!

Well, our bags were delayed on a trip, and i blamed it on my husbands leg brace that he had packed into the suit case, must have looked like a body part.

And he went through the security explained he had metal in his leg, we expected him to get stopped and searched, but he didn't. His leg didn't even set the metal detector off.

But damn we get to our destination and no bags. Cause they kept them to check them out. They were delivered to our hotel room the next day.

Ha! I just flew to Atlanta for my Mom's and my niece's b-day so I packed everything, airgun, x-acto knife, fondant, gumpaste flowers, even buttercream (so I wouldn't have to make it there) and my bag was checked. It was weird to find the note saying they had checked my bag. Wonder what they thought about all the weird stuff in there

I never thought of it before, but yeah, I can see how that might look funny. Good info to know.

We got to go to the "special" line at customs last year- for agriculture products. Turns out it was a small bottle of hot sauce my son packed that was suspicious. They didn't say a thing about being over the limit for booze. When we left St. Martin, the limit was fine because the kids just had to be over 18. Once we hit the home soil, we were over the limit due to the age thing.

All in all, a fun trip as long as you stay relaxed. BTW- booze is always in the checked luggage, not the carry on. Always. Ask hubby how we know. LMAO

Wow. Good to know!

I've been stopped, having a ziplock bag of choc MMF in my carry-on.
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6494349-.html#6494349

I was stopped once at easter time at the airport. I come from a Polish family and horseradish is a big part of the easter meals. Anyway, they took away my horseradish. Needless to say, I didn't put up too much of a fight. Security knows what they are doing.

When I arrived at my daughter's house I told her about it and called my mom and dad to tell them that security 'confiscated' my horseradish. My Dad just laughed and said, "don't you know, that's Polish Teargas." I laughed my butt off.

Those of you from Polish backgrounds or who have had the misfortune of getting a big whiff of fresh horseradish know what I'm talking about. But that statement made a lot of sense. I still chuckle thinking about it.

I can see about the fondant being mistaken for plastic explosives, but one whiff and you know it's mega sugar. Thanks for telling us. Now I know not to travel with fondant, or Horseradish. LOL

If you got through security with fondant, I can tell you why. They are searching all the knee implants and pacemakers. Two instances,
1. I have a knee implant and my mother has a pacemaker and my DH and mom and dad and I flew from Mo to Miami to do a cruise. It got to be just plain riduculous traveling together. Both of us were frisked every time we turned around. We were frisked to get on the plane in St. Louis. We were frisked getting on the ship when we set sail and every time we went ashore we were frisked getting back on the ship.
2. when flying home from Vegas, I was searched two seperate times for the same flight, once going to the gate and once while we were in line to board the plane.
Dozens of more suspicious people than me just walk right by. I WISH they could do some kind of profiling so they wouldn't have to search me EVERY time. (Or maybe I DO look like a terrorist, who knows, I'm 58, short, dumpy with grey hair)

I find that TSA at the gate just can't adapt to anything that looks unfamiliar. I was nearly booted out of the airport for a round ended offset spatula. The moron really went on an all out power trip over that dangerous "weapon"........

If I'm flying with fondant, gum paste, buttercream, etc., I pack it in my checked luggage. They often look in the luggage and leave me a love note, but so far, no problems--if you don't count the can of gum tex that they didn't re-seal properly........... left a messy residue (of gum glue) that ruined the suitcase.

I just came home from Las Vegas and they had 6 agents looking at IDs at the gate (this was what, the 3rd time that it was checked???????). I've never experienced that at any other airport.

I don't know what they thought they'd find. What a waste of time and money! I have to admit, I'm pretty cold to them when they play these games. My personal sense was that they were merely justifying their own jobs. You just know that they'll be on a coffee break when something important happens........


Rae

OMG - I'm surprised at this. I travel and teach....take gumpaste with me ALL the time. I tell them right away that it's sugar dough and what it's used for. I have also traveled with fondant with no problems. I take wires to, all the time. Hmmmmm...... hope I don't have anything to worry about next time They always think the fondant is a plastic explosive or something - LOL!

Better safe than sorry...not everyone is nice like us

Jen

I think attitude (or I should say a lack thereof) has a lot to do with it. I travel pretty frequently and so far, so good. They're more intrigued with the stuff than anything else and I find being good natured about questions or whatever helps move things along. Works for me.

I've carried crochet hooks, friend carried knitting needles, above posts have carried exacto knives ......

But heaven forbid we carry too much after shave, toothpaste or bags of sugar product!

The lack of logic just blows me away.

I also like to fly with my cake shirt on which identifies my business. It was fun in France.... no one spoke English and I didn't speak French. I finally pointed to my shirt and they shook their heads making a motion of a wedding cake - LOL!

Jen

I've travelled quite a lot over the years, and have found that US immigration and customs people are THE coldest, toughest and least good-humoured I have encountered. I guess they're trained for it, but is doesn't make for a pleasant experience entering your great country, especially with a British passport.

YUP! LOL Kind of a tiered gesture with their hands.... they kept saying par-fume???? I would say no... you eat it, as I'm gestering towards my mouth. Thank God they did not take my dough

LOL

Jen

Must be a French thing. I remember years ago our lovely French exchange student trying to mime her father's profession to us. She kept doing this 'carrying a heavy sack over shoulder like Santa mime'. Turned out he was a butcher!

LOL!

Jen

I frequently go the US and every time I go I order a 20lb bucket of SatinIce as it is half the price than I would pay at home. So I am well versed in the "fondant speech" to the check-in staff. Most of the time they don't even comment other than wanting to discuss Ace of Cakes with me, but I have had times where I have been called to security where they insist on taking samples to be analyzed. Fair enough, I rather they bother me than not catching someone who really do carry a bucket of plastic explosives and blow me to smithereens.

Amen to that one, sis'ta!!!

Jen

I prefer the TSA agents to be cautious. We lived 5 blocks from the the terrible incident on 9-11.

Also, having family, friends and coworker's who died at the World Trade Center I feel it is for everyone' safety for the TSA security to be cautious.

I'm sorry but unless you have family and friends who passed away or experienced that dreadful day watching 2 planes explode and running away from your apartment with 3 babies was a horrible experience I will never forget.

Because I was deaf I could not hear and had to rely on neighbors to help evacaute me. My husband thank goodness did not work at the world trade tower that day but was out of town on business.

Just remembering the smell of smoke and the everyone chaos is an experience I hope any cc member will never go through.

So yes, I am for TSA personnel to be over cautious.

I would rather have them confiscate by fondant and cake supplies than go through the terrible 9-11 experience.

Please understand the TSA agents are doing there job.