Traveling during the holidays can be stressful enough, and now passengers might not be able to indulge in homemade baked goods while waiting to board their planes.
A woman flying from Las Vegas to Boston said a TSA officer confiscated the cupcake she had in her carry-on after he deemed it a security risk, according to Boston's WCVB News.
Rebecca Hains told the agent that she and the cupcake-in-a-jar were able to pass through security at Boston's Logan International Airport without a problem, but the agent allegedly insisted the frosting on the cupcake was too "gel-like" because it "[conformed] to its container."
In a piece on Boing Boing, Hains recounts what happened next:
At this, I offered to scoop my dangerously conformist cupcake out of its jar and place it in a zip-lock bag, where it could mush about to its heart's content; but Agent [REDACTED] wisely refused. After all, the jar in all its tasty glory "clearly contains more than 3 ounces of total contents," he said.
On its website, the TSA states it understands people want to bring home some of their favorite foods. Most items, such as jellies, wine and sauces, are fine to fly with as long as passengers properly package them inside a checked bag, the New York Daily News points out.
However, the TSA does note: "You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening."
A TSA spokesperson told the Daily News that the incident was unusual. The cupcake company is reportedly shipping Hains some free goodies to hold her over as the claim is investigated, WCVB reports.
And apparently Hains isn't the only person having trouble getting her baked goods back home.
A couple who was flying to Florida from New York thinks a TSA officer sneaked a taste of a chocolate cake that was packed in a checked bag, the Palm Beach Post reports.
However, a TSA spokesperson reviewed the video and did not find that any item "resembling a cake" was removed from the baggage at any time, according to the Palm Beach Post.