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Just got back from visiting some relatives.
Going there, I was carrying a few small cheeses (in vacuum sealed bags) with me in my carry on.
My bags were recycled through the X-ray machine while I was called over for inspection of my bag.
Having given my permission for them to open my bag, the agent did so VERY cautiously where he found the cheeses I said were there. The suspect cheeses were wiped down thoroughly with explosives detecting pads and everything was sent back through the machines for re=examination.

After all was said and done, the TSA agent came up to me and said that next time I might want to take the cheeses out of my bag and put them in a bin by themselves - because to them, the cheeses had looked just like C4 explosives! 

Anyone else similarly transporting cheese in their hand luggage may want to have less fun. 

Interesting.  I have traveled with cheeses recently and have never had any issues?  So variable!  But once, they didn't let me bring eggs from my chickens home to my parents because they were "a gel-like substance".  heh.

I fly with cheese all the time, but my point of origin is Wisconsin. My TSA boys are cute little farm-lads who gleefully examine my cheeses and then shyly ask for permission to open and smell them. They will occasionally engage me in an involved discussion about the kinds of cultures I used and my aging process. It's a different kind of fun.

I would think anyone leaving Wisconsin WITHOUT cheese would be suspicious indeed! We used to fill the car with all kinds of cheeses from the cheese store in Rudoulf . At least 75 pounds of it. I would bring 3 small coolers just to bring different cheeses back. Pennnies on the dollar compared to out here! And No Booffer I did NOT like the Limbuger!

I guess bringing ash covered cheese is not a good idea.

Quote from: DeejayDebi on March 24, 2012, 12:21:01 AM
And No Booffer I did NOT like the Limbuger!

Maybe you're just not old enough yet. 

As I recall now, the Tom & Jerry cartoons from waaayyy back frequently featured Limburger cheese (it was labeled so you would know what kind of cheese it was) and it always had a captivating aroma wafting from it.

-Boofer-

Quote from: Boofer on March 24, 2012, 02:02:24 PM
As I recall now, the Tom & Jerry cartoons from waaayyy back frequently featured Limburger cheese (it was labeled so you would know what kind of cheese it was) and it always had a captivating aroma wafting from it.

-Boofer-

I remember those cartoons! Maybe you have to be a mouse! I could even swallow the stuff while holding my nose!

I get examined by TSA on every flight! Actually has become quite funny as they examine my suitcase, which quite frequently has 15-20 cheeses inside. The standard questioning is "Is this all cheese?"  -- "Why do have all this cheese?". After I explain that I've made the cheese, the conversation ensues into the type of cheese, etc. Quite funny, actually. That was for carry-ons. I did have an experience with a checked bag that was apparently inspected and my mozzarella became a part of my wardrobe--it was everywhere! So many stories of traveling with cheese--I was almost kicked off of a plane for a 3 hour flight that left my Camembert aromatics a bit more than anyone could stand--baguette anyone?

I got the exact same treatment as the original poster on the 14th with a flight out of Chattanooga destined to Atlanta/Munich, Germany. I was taking some handmade soap for my mother in law and I had it in my carry on. I got pulled to the side and they honed in on the package and when asked, I said it was soap and the lady agreed that it smelled great when she opened the bag. She still swiped it with the explosive stuff and rescanned the bag. It wasn't until I started walking away that I realized they thought it was C4! Next time I'll put more consideration into what stuff would look like in an xray machine.