izzi81

My 71-yr old father is coming to visit us in NS next week. This will be the first time he's been through international customs for quite a while, possibly in the region of 20 years, so I'm trying to make the process as smooth as possible by telling him what to expect.

I have heard that you are supposed to tick the 'dairy' box on the landing card if you're bringing in chocolate... is this correct? I've never done this (and I've been across many borders with chocolate lol) but the last thing I want is for my dad to be treated like a smuggler just because he's bringing me a few bars of chocolate! I'm pretty sure the 'dairy' box was not intended for chocolate, but that doesn't mean that they don't expect you to tick it.

Also, I was going to get him to bring me some spices - pre-packaged, Colemans/Schwartz type stuff (don't laugh). I presume that is fine too?

Zoe Bell

I always check the yes box for dairy when carrying chocolate.
usually they just ask me what it is and have no problem when I tell them. I've never been told that I shouldn't mark it, but I've never been told that i definitely should either.

prepackaged stuff , dried like that is probably ok too.

the way i look at it is , be honest , tell them what you have. it it isn't allowed the worst they are going to do is take it off you. I really don't think anyone gets fined for an honest mistake, they get fined when they lie about what they have.

Souvy

Agree with Zoe. I've been taken to task for a contraband Toblerone, purchased at Heathrow.

Declare everything on the card. The worst that can happen is that it is taken away from you when you get to control. If you get into the baggage hall and a sniffer dogs finds something undeclared..........

FL will likely give you a better answer than this one but I think declaring everything is the best policy.

izzi81

Thanks for the info. I've clearly been doing it wrong up to now! Sounds like getting him to declare it is the thing to do, as you say, better to be safe than sorry.
I just never would have thought of chocolate as being dairy (yes I know it's called Dairy Milk )

confused_uk

Is he landing at Halifax though, they sometimes have sniffer dog checking everyone's bag for food while they wait in the queue. Might end up being a bit of a drama

SchnookoLoly

Whoops, I have never ticked "dairy" when I've been carrying chocolate, mainly because I didn't even think to do it! And I bring chocolate to Canada on pretty well every trip, including landing back on Sunday - 3 bars of Green&Black in my suitcase!

Oopsies.

Zoe Bell

only if it isn't declared.
It's a fallacy that you can't bring any food in. some things are prohibited for sure but most just need to be declared.

watching crappy TV shows like Border patrol , it never ceases to amaze me how many people lie because they think that answering "yes" will get them into trouble. when in reality what they are doing is fine , except for the fact they lied!

Piff Poff

I've never checked the dairy box for chocolate either

confused_uk

But you are in the queue before you get to the desk to declare it. In all honesty I don't think the dog is very good at his job, I've forgotten I've had food in my bag many times & he's never noticed

Atlantic Xpat

The sniffer dog went wild over our bags in December as my wife had left an apple in her bag, picked up in the hotel at Heathrow for the kids. Of course, you're not supposed to bring fruit & veg in the country so it was a fair cop guv. We got taken into secondary by the dog handler - a very friendly CBSA officer - who handed out business cards for the dog, completed a form and gently admonished us for the oversight. Not much in the way of drama then and we were on our way for the onward flight to St John's.

The interesting thing was opening my bag later at home to find I had a banana left in the bag. Clearly once the dog had found the first piece of fruit he wasn't bothered about the second!

Interestingly the dog handler said one of the main things they are looking for is excessive cheese beyond the $20 allowance per person. Got to protect those Canadian dairy farmers haven't we!

Oakvillian

Green & Black's mostly make dark chocolate, though, which shouldn't have any dairy products in it. Unless you're bringing in the G&B milk chocolate, in which case I'd wonder why you're bothering...

I'm sure FL can give us a definitive answer, but I'm pretty certain you don't need to declare milk chocolate as a dairy product in any case - because it contains fats other than dairy fats. But, as has been pointed out, better to declare something you don't have to, rather than not declare something you ought to have declared!

SchnookoLoly

I brought three bars, one dark chocolate and ginger, one dark chocolate and burnt toffee, and one milk chocolate and almond. I rather like their chocolate...

HGerchikov

I'll be over in half an hour

Gozit

Oh yes

Can you bring more than $20 worth in if you declare it / pay the naffing tax?

bats

Is it really worth the effort? Lugging choclate around the world?