Flying home with South West honey, oil and jam

On most domestic flights in Australia, yes: honey, olive oil and jam can go in your cabin bag. The Department of Home Affairs limits liquids, aerosols and gels on international flights, and says those limits "do not apply to your checked baggage or most domestic flights." International flights are different. Every liquid, aerosol or gel container in your cabin bag must be "100 mL (volume), 100 g (weight) or less", so a full-size jar goes in the hold. Flying to Tasmania? Honey has its own entry rules there, set by Biosecurity Tasmania. Rules change, so check Home Affairs and your airline before you fly.

Domestic flights: most have no liquid limit

Home Affairs sets the rules for airport security screening. Its What you can and can't bring page says: "The Australian Government restricts the quantity of liquids, aerosols, gels and certain powders you can carry on board international flights. These restrictions do not apply to your checked baggage or most domestic flights."

Note the word most. The limits still apply "when travelling on the domestic leg of a flight departing from an Australian international terminal". If your flight to another city leaves from an international terminal, say as the first leg of a trip overseas, pack for the international rules.

Honey and jam count. Home Affairs lists "Honey" and "Jam" as gels, and "Oils" and "Vinegar" as liquids. On most domestic flights that makes no difference. On an international flight, it decides what goes in the cabin.

International flights: the 100 mL rule

  • Each container must be "100 mL (volume), 100 g (weight) or less".
  • They all go in one resealable bag, and the bag's sides must add up to no more than 80 cm.
  • One bag per passenger.
  • "You cannot take containers larger than 100 mL or 100 g, even if they are only partially-filled." A half-empty 320 g jar is still a 320 g jar.

Anything bigger goes in your checked bag. A few South West products already come small enough for the cabin: Olio Bello's Arbequina extra virgin olive oil in a 50 mL bottle, Eagle Bay Olives' extra virgin olive oil and apple balsamic in 100 mL bottles, Truffle Hill's truffle oil in 50 mL or 100 mL, and Pemberton Honey Co's tasting pack of three 60 g jars. The Home Affairs fact sheet adds that "Security screening officers have the final say about what you can take on board", so if you're not sure, put it in the checked bag.

Flying to Tasmania with honey

Biosecurity Tasmania says honey is allowed in if "the honey has been commercially filtered to a maximum 0.42mm pore size and is free of wax pieces and bee bits". Unfiltered honey isn't permitted unless it was commercially produced in Tasmania, and honey must be declared.

Some South West honey is sold raw, and we can't tell you whether a particular jar meets that filter size. Ask the maker, and check with Biosecurity Tasmania before you pack it. The same page lists jams, sauces, edible oils, chocolate, coffee and tea as generally allowed, as long as they're identifiable, clean and free of biosecurity contamination. Keeping them in their labelled packaging helps.

Flying to another state? We haven't checked every state's rules for honey from Western Australia, so look up your own state's biosecurity rules as well.

What travels how

South West products by format, with the sizes each maker sells. On most domestic flights, all of them can go in the cabin. The last column is for international flights.

Format From our makers On the Home Affairs list? International cabin bag
Jar of honey Foragers Honey jarrah, marri and wildflower honey, 320 g jars. Pemberton Honey Co karri, wandoo and hakea honey, 340 g, 500 g or 1 kg jars. Truffle Hill truffle honey, 135 g or 650 g Yes: honey is listed as a gel Only 100 g or less, such as Pemberton Honey Co's 60 g tasting jars. The rest go in checked baggage
Jar of jam Providore plum, lavender and black pepper jam, 330 g jar Yes: jam is listed as a gel Checked baggage
Bottle of oil or vinegar Olio Bello Arbequina extra virgin olive oil, 50 mL or 500 mL. Eagle Bay Olives extra virgin olive oil, 100 mL up to a 5 litre tin, and apple balsamic, 100 mL or 250 mL. Vasse Virgin basil-pressed extra virgin olive oil, 250 mL. Petra Olive Oil extra virgin olive oil, 500 mL, and lemon, lime and herb oils, 250 mL. Truffle Hill truffle oil, 50 mL to 500 mL Yes: oils and vinegar are listed as liquids The 50 mL and 100 mL bottles, in your one bag. Bigger bottles go in checked baggage
Bar of chocolate, nougat or fudge Temper Temper, 50 g bars. Bahen & Co, 75 g bars. Gabriel Chocolate Peru 65% dark, 100 g. Bettenays nougat, 180 g bars. Margaret River Fudge Factory, 120 g portions Not among the examples we quote Check the full Home Affairs list
Bar of soap Soap Suds & Oils, 120 g bars. Vasse Virgin olive oil soap, 100 g. Capricopia goat's milk soap, about 80 g Not among the examples we quote Check the full Home Affairs list
Bag of tea or coffee Margaret River Tea Company, 50 g to 100 g packs. Seven Seas Tea, 80 g to 500 g. Margaret River Roasting Co, 250 g to 3 kg. Yahava KoffeeWorks, 250 g, 500 g or 1 kg. Obison Coffee Roasters, 250 g or 1 kg Not among the examples we quote Check the full Home Affairs list
Tin of powder Providore classic drinking chocolate, 250 g tin Powdered food is listed as an organic powder: "There are no limits on how much organic powder you can bring on board an aircraft" No limit on organic powder, though screening officers have the final say

Packing it

  • Wrap glass. Roll jars and bottles in clothes and pack them in the middle of the case, away from the sides.
  • Weigh the bag. Glass and tins add up fast. Check your airline's baggage allowance before you fill the case.
  • Keep the labels on. Biosecurity Tasmania wants food to be identifiable, and a labelled jar is easier to explain at screening too.

Or have it posted

If the case is already full, or you'd rather not carry glass, have it sent. These makers say on their own sites that they post Australia-wide:

Each maker sets its own postage, so see the current cost at the maker's site. For anyone not listed, check their site or ask them. Small makers are usually happy to help.

Before you fly

  • Check the Home Affairs What you can and can't bring page. The rules change.
  • Check your airline's baggage allowance.
  • Flying international: anything over 100 mL or 100 g goes in the checked bag.
  • Flying to Tasmania with honey: check Biosecurity Tasmania first, and declare it.

Flying with food: questions

Can you take honey on a plane in Australia?

On most domestic flights, yes, in your cabin bag or your checked bag. Home Affairs says its limits on liquids, aerosols and gels don't apply to most domestic flights. On international flights, honey counts as a gel, so each container in your cabin bag must be 100 g or less. Flying to Tasmania, check Biosecurity Tasmania's honey rules first.

Is honey a liquid at airport security?

Home Affairs lists honey as a gel. On international flights, gels have the same limits as liquids: 100 mL or 100 g per container, all in one resealable bag.

Can you take olive oil on a plane in Australia?

On most domestic flights, yes. Home Affairs lists oils as a liquid, so on international flights each bottle in your cabin bag must be 100 mL or less. Olio Bello and Truffle Hill both sell 50 mL bottles, and Eagle Bay Olives sells 100 mL.

Can you take jam in your carry-on?

On most domestic flights, yes. Jam is listed as a gel, so on an international flight a jar over 100 g has to go in your checked bag.

Can you take honey to Tasmania?

Only if it meets Biosecurity Tasmania's rules: commercially filtered to a maximum 0.42 mm pore size, and free of wax pieces and bee bits. Unfiltered honey isn't permitted unless it was commercially produced in Tasmania, and honey must be declared. Check with Biosecurity Tasmania before you fly.

What if my domestic flight leaves from an international terminal?

Then the limits apply. Home Affairs says they cover "the domestic leg of a flight departing from an Australian international terminal", so pack for the international rules.

Can I have South West honey or olive oil posted instead?

Yes, from some makers. Pemberton Honey Co, Olio Bello and Vasse Virgin say they post Australia-wide, and Petra Olive Oil sends orders within Australia. The full list is under "Or have it posted" above.

Still deciding what to take? See what to bring home from Margaret River, or find the makers on the map.

Independent guide. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by any maker named here, none of them paid to be here, and we don't sell their products. This page summarises government guidance for travellers. It isn't legal advice, and the rules can change. Is this your business? Update, claim or remove this page.

Where these facts come from