Can I bring some canned food to India?

Can I bring packaged food with me to India?

• I am planning a month-long trip to India in the coming months. Because I have many allergies, I plan to bring some food with me - pre-packaged beef jerky, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, protein powders, nut butters and coconut oil. Is it best to pack this in my carry-on as I've heard things go missing in checked in luggage. Is bringing food allowed or will it all be taken?

• Answer:

  You're right that they take things but they are also not careful with the luggage or with the things inside them. You probably can't take the seeds. Depends if they can grow or not. There is a list of types of plants and seeds that you cannot take in an Indian embassy. There are good reasons why they take things like this away. You can take all the other food with your carryon as long as they are not in bulk, but you can only take a small amount of the butter and oil. If you really need those things then take them in your suitcase in this manner: put the butter or oil in an airtight and indestructable tupperware, tape it closed, put rubber bands around it securing that the lid does not come off, bag it once in a ziplock and a second time in a plastic bag and label them. This is the same thing you should do with perfumes, shampoos, jam, and other things with visciosity alike. Happy travels!