Exactly what food and drink you can take onto a plane

With the summer holidays fast approaching, lots of people will be preparing for their visits abroad. And many families will be keen to avoid the notoriously expensive airport prices by bringing their own choice of snacks and food for the flight.

But what are the rules and restrictions when it comes to taking food on board in your hand luggage? The 100ml cap on liquids being taken through security was set to change in June, following the requirement of airports to install new scanners that can analyse the molecular structure of the contents of a passenger’s bag.

Bristol Airport was prepared to have this new equipment fully in place by June 14, but just five days before that deadline airports were ordered to restore the previous 100ml limit, which extends to foods such as soup, jam, yoghurt and sauces.

The government guidelines on bringing food in hand luggage remains the same, stating: “Food items and powders in your hand luggage can obstruct images on X-ray machines. Your bags may need to be checked again manually by security. You can put these items in your hold luggage to minimise delays.” However, the guidance from each airline differs. Here’s the latest list of the rules for each airline that flies out of Bristol Airport.

TUI

The TUI guidelines remain the same as the government ones. “Food items and powders in your hand luggage can obstruct images on X-ray machines. Your bags may need to be checked again manually by security. You can put these items in your hold luggage to minimise delays."

easyJet

The easyJet website says: “You can bring food into the cabin, although we do sell a range of delicious food and drink on board. There’s a 100ml limit for liquid food, like soup or custard. Different countries have different regulations about importing food and drink, so makes sure you check the rules for your destination.”

Ryanair

Ryanair allows passengers to carry on any type of food or soft drinks on their flights, provided it adheres to the mandatory hand- luggage weight and size specifications. The airline does not permit hot drinks or consuming one’s own alcohol whole on board the flight.

British Airways

The British Airways guidelines allow customers to take 'solid foods like sandwiches, biscuits, fruit, nuts, etc. on board but the same restrictions for liquids apply to liquid foods, e.g. drinks, soups, sauces, jam or jelly'. The guidelines also ask that customers do not bring peanuts on board their flight, due to the number of allergies.

Jet2

The Jet2 website says: “You cannot bring hot food or hot drinks onboard our planes. However, we do offer a great selection of meals, hot and cold sandwiches and drinks that can be pre- purchased in Manage My Booking or bought onboard.”