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Original poster

formula milk at the airport

47 replies

mamserafina · 06/08/2008 00:13

not sure I am in the right forum, but I am watching another thread in this section so I will post here.

Does anybody know about the new rules re travelling with formula by plane?
Is it worth for me to have a few ready made cartoons of SMA gold for 4 months old baby or will they ask me to throw them away???

I know I can buy them at Boots ones I am through the departure lounge, but I am paranoid they might have run out and I am left with no milk for the rest of the day...

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Ambi · 06/08/2008 00:15

I'm going to be watching this thread as I have the same concerns, I fly on Friday. I'm going to take 3 cartons of ready made and an empty bottle - hopefully that should make it through, if not I'll have to cross my fingers and toes that the Boots still have stock.

DivaSkyChick · 06/08/2008 04:19

You can take pre-made formula onto a plane, as much as you want. Don't count on Boots at the airport. If they're out, then what will you do???

Personally, I prefer to take pre-measured containers of powder and buy bottled water once I'm through security. I have even managed to get baby bottles with boiled water through, when Coco was younger, although it required a few tears on my part once or twice. My PFB couldn't drink unboiled bottled water!! lol

Coco has been on 20 plane rides in her first year so I'm pretty sure I've seen it all.

megcleary · 06/08/2008 07:29

in may i took 3 bottles of cooled boiled water through security and a portioned container with enough for 3 feeds security were lovely as travelling on own with 8 mo dd

fledtoscotland · 06/08/2008 08:58

dont get me started on this! it depends on the airport but IME most will not let you take the cartons through as they are over 100mls! i now take cooled boiled water and powder and found every airport is happy to provide you with a jug of hot water.

also you may have to test the boiled water so ask for/take a plastic cup to pour a bit into so you dont contaminate the bottle.

Sullwah · 06/08/2008 09:09

I have taken cartons through Heathrow no problem. Took an extra one to taste just in case.

Used baby nail sissors to open them - in no ones world can you describe these as dangerous!

If you take a look at the BAA website there is something about being able to take just enough formula for thr trip and also that round topped scissors can be taken on board.

dilbertina · 06/08/2008 09:13

I took cartons through, the security guy said I had to open them all and taste them all...but let me off after tasting one. I did manage to "accidentally" spill quite a bit on his table when opening the first one so maybe this helped.......

megcleary · 06/08/2008 12:29

we were at stansted

MKG · 06/08/2008 13:24

My sister flew once and a stupid security guard asked her to taste it. Luckily and nice female guard said, "She can't do that you idiot that'll put bacteria in the formula"

I know here in the US they make exceptions for formula and breastmilk.

Ewe · 06/08/2008 13:30

I have just flown and was made to open one of the three cartons of milk and taste it. Had to throw it away though as DD didn't need to eat for another 2hours!

LostGirl · 06/08/2008 13:35

We fly regularly and it is different every time, it depends on the airport and the security level at the time so can change on a daily basis. Generally, they will make you open ALL cartons, they will NOT let you take cooled boiled water through, they will empty it out and give you back the bottle. Restaurants etc inside the airport are no longer allowed to fill the bottles up with boiling water for you but will fill up a large coffee cup which you then have to carry and safely transfer into the bottle and then cool down. These days we generally take empty sterelised bottles and pre measured powder, then either stock up at boots on carton milk or if there is none (this has never happened) we would then faff about with getting hot water.

Best of luck!!

CharliesMum08 · 06/08/2008 13:37

I was made to taste expressed breast milk at manchester!

nancy75 · 06/08/2008 13:38

every time i have flown they have made me open and taste the cartons, last time i phoned boots airside the day before we flew and they reserved me 6 cartons of the milk and were very helpful - this was gatwick.

elmoandella · 06/08/2008 13:40

the trick to this is being adaptable.

we usually go down the boiled cooled water route. as you may be asked to test.

if you have cartons and they want you to test. make sure you have suitable bottles ready to put them in. if staff are being really arsey they could make you open them all.

i'll be honest. it's not the airport its the staff.

we fly several time a year with 2 kids taking formula for both. sometimes they dont bat and eyelid. others we're had to test every liquid.

and i hate the taste of formula is why we not take the water and powder. it also uses less room in hand luggage as you have to take enough bottles to decant if they ask you to test.

as for boots. they are very unreliable when it comes to this. someone airport boots only stock 1 brand.

LostGirl · 06/08/2008 14:12

They wouldn't even let us through with cooled boiled water and seperate power, they said it all had to be mixed before hand or the water thrown away. ON this day however, there had clearly been some sort of high alert so were maybe being extra cautious

Mitchell81 · 06/08/2008 14:22

We just flew last weekend and had 4 bottles with cooled boiled water and container of formula, no problems didn't need to taste them or the kids juice bottles with apple juice. And fine with liquid medicines in 250ml bottles.
Maybe travelling with 10 week baby, 2 year old and 7year old in a wheelchair made a difference.

Jodyray · 06/08/2008 14:28

I had a combination of 2cartons and 1 bottle of cooled boiled water and formula to mix in . I had to taste the water and open BOTH cartons and pour them into bottles to taste, despite me telling them that it was premature milk that has to be used within the hour and cant be purchased in boots they still made me open it. I flew from Manchester. I also had to open a jar of baby apple food and taste that. A complete waste.

canofworms · 06/08/2008 14:32

we went on a mammoth trip in June with 6 flights!

I tended to take the powder and buy the water seperately once through security. Was made to taste leftovers of some formula in 1 airport - was way less than 100mls but others let us through no problems with a beaker full of water!

Even some medicine of our babies' was confiscated at Heathrow which they'd let through no problem the week before!

elmoandella · 06/08/2008 19:15

you get the little 5ml sachets for stuff like calpol.

Ambi · 06/08/2008 19:47

oh great, this is going to be interesting!
A mixed bag of responses then, I really don't want to take separate powder and water, I think I might flip out if they take my pfbs milk and food away, then I will be hauled off by security.

StealthPolarBear · 06/08/2008 19:51

OMG What a pain
Surely there must be some rules about this - if worst comes to worst what happens exactly?! Would they let a baby go hungry?

trace2 · 06/08/2008 19:55

we just come back and dd is on neocate we had to tasate each bottle yuk yuk and yuk

Seona1973 · 06/08/2008 19:59

Liquids and air travel

It does say this:

Baby Food

Liquid baby food or sterilised water, sufficient for the journey, can be taken through airport security. The accompanying adult will be required to verify by tasting.

Airport security

StealthPolarBear · 06/08/2008 20:01

But once you taste it it's no longer sterile!

carrieon · 06/08/2008 20:33

We were advised not to take powder as they can get funny about unidentified white powders being on planes. We flew from Gatwick to Brazil and took a load of formula cartons and some empty bottles. We were made to open one carton (which we decanted into bottle and fed to dd in departures) and one food jar which we decided was so disgusting that we threw it away not wanting to inflict it on her!!!

blueskythinker · 06/08/2008 21:05

I have brought bottles of cool boiled water & pre-measured formula through loads of times - last time being 2 weeks ago. We have never had a problem, although I have always been asked to taste the water.

I like the suggestion of pouring the water into a cup to taste (although I was never that organised)

I always bring loads of the little resealable bags just in case they insist you need to put the bottles into these (I have been asked to do this before, even though the bottles are more than 100mls.)