TSA warns travelers that they can’t take a full-size jar of peanut butter on an airplane

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has declared that peanut butter cannot be packed indiscriminately on flights within and connecting to the US, arguing it is a liquid substance and therefore banned under aviation security rules.

For years, to Jif-lover’s dismay, the the agency tasked with vetting Americans for air travel has maintained the savory snack is a liquid – due to it having ‘no definite shape’ and taking a form ‘dictated by its container.’

Thus, the agency insists, a passenger can ‘spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it’ while traveling – a potential safety hazard the TSA says can disrupt flights and other passengers’ experience.

Travelers looking to tack a jar on their carry-on have since been limited to a 3.4 ounce allowance set aside for liquids – an amount foodies around the globe have either decried or tried to circumvent.

As debate among the beloved food’s physical state persists to this day, the TSA took to its official Twitter account to confirmed its stance on the spread – reminding prospective travelers about the limits in place.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has declared that peanut butter cannot be packed indiscriminately on flights within and connecting to the US, due to it having ‘no definite shape’ and thus at risk of being spilled

the TSA took to its official Twitter account to confirmed its stance on the spread – reminding prospective travelers that they are limited to a 3.4 ounce allowance set aside for liquids

‘You may not be nuts about it, but TSA considers your PB a liquid,’ the group wrote in the now-viral post’s caption that reiterated the 3.4 ounce liquid allowance.

An attached photo pointed to the agency’s official rule concerning the lunchtime staple – that it ‘has no definite shape’ and is therefore subject to spills.

If a passenger can ‘spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it,’ the TSA wrote in message plastered atop a photo of a nondescript jar of peanut butter,  ‘then the carry-on quantity is limited to 3.4 ounce.’

For reference, a ‘regular’ size jar of stalwarts Skippy of Jif comes in at 18 ounces, meaning those looking to smuggle even a fraction of a jar are fresh out of luck.

As is the case with other liquids being brought on to a flight, the 3.4 ounce jar must be placed in a single quart-sized bag, ‘with one bag permitted per passenger,’ the agency added.

In another post shortly after, the agency announced another food restriction, involving cheese dip, stating that creamy sauces used for dipping going forward will also be confined to 3.4 ounces or less.

‘In queso you’re wondering, all your travel-size liquids need to fit in a single quart-size bag,’ the group wrote, fresh off the heels of continued backlash for the peanut butter announcement.

Americans are voicing their distaste over the TSA’s decree, further fueling debate about the food item’s solid state

Both posts have received millions of interactions on both Twitter to Instagram, where Americans are voicing their distaste over the TSA’s decree. 

‘Thank you for keeping us safe from peanut butter. Not all heroes wear capes,’ one user joked, questioning how a food item could be deemed such a hazard.

‘Sand and sugar would like a word about this definition of a liquid,’ a more scientifically onlooker remarked.

Another sniped: ‘The percentage of water our bodies carry may as well be banned too.’

Others debated about the state of matter about similar foods such as yogurt, while some thought up clever alternatives that may throw off watchful TSA workers. 

One onlooker made the wayward point: ‘What about PBJ sandwiches? Are there a limit on those?’