Can you bring food through security at Atlanta airport? What TSA allows and where to buy water

Yes. TSA lets solid food through in a carry-on and caps liquid or gel food at 3.4 ounces per container, and bottled water follows the same cap. ATL publishes no water refill station, so plan to buy water on your own concourse.

Solid food goes through, and liquid or gel food is capped at 3.4 ounces

TSA’s food list says solid food items, meaning not liquids or gels, can travel in a carry-on or a checked bag. It says larger liquid or gel food should go in checked baggage if possible. Bread, candy and cereal each read yes for both bags.

CLEAR’s own food guide lists sandwiches, granola bars and baked goods as solids that pass. It puts yogurt, nut butters, soups and dips on the liquid side. It also says fresh fruit and vegetables suit domestic flights, because international trips can bring extra restrictions, including at the destination’s customs.

Canned food is less clear. TSA’s list marks it yes for a carry-on with special instructions. It says canned food can need extra screening and might not be allowed through, and suggests packing it in checked baggage, shipping it or leaving it at home.

TSA officers may ask you to take food out of your bag so it doesn’t clutter the X-ray image. For an item the list doesn’t cover, AskTSA answers a text of “Travel” to 275-872, with live assistance from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.

Water, drinks and alcohol follow the 3.4 ounce cap

TSA’s liquids rule puts every liquid, gel, aerosol, cream and paste in one quart-sized bag, in containers of 3.4 ounces or less each. Anything larger goes in checked baggage.

Mini bottles of alcohol in a carry-on must fit comfortably in that single quart-sized bag. TSA says to check with your airline before bringing alcohol on board, and that FAA rules bar drinking it on the aircraft unless a flight attendant serves it.

Baby food, formula and medication sit outside the cap

TSA treats formula, breast milk, toddler drinks and baby or toddler food, puree pouches included, as medically necessary liquids. You can carry more than 3.4 ounces of them, and they don’t have to fit the quart-sized bag. Tell the officer at the start of screening and take them out of your bag to be screened separately. Officers may test the liquid for explosives. Your child doesn’t need to be with you to bring breast milk, formula or the supplies for them.

Ice packs and gel packs that keep those items cool are allowed, and partly frozen or slushy ones get the same extra screening. The liquids rule also lists medications as an exemption.

Duty-free liquids from abroad have their own rule

Duty-free liquids can exceed 3.4 ounces in a carry-on if you bought them internationally and are traveling to the United States with a connecting flight. The retailer must have packed them in a transparent, tamper-evident bag that shows no sign of tampering. You need the original receipt, and you must have bought the items within 48 hours. Officers still screen and clear them. TSA recommends checked baggage for anything over 3.4 ounces even in a sealed bag, and requires it when the bag isn’t tamper-evident.

What does ATL add to TSA’s rules?

ATL’s passenger security page carries no food list. It says certain items aren’t allowed beyond the checkpoints or on an aircraft and sends you to TSA’s website. TSA PreCheck lets you leave 3-1-1 compliant liquids and laptops in your bag, so the 3.4 ounce cap still applies in that lane.

Where can you buy water after the checkpoint?

For a refill, ask one of ATL’s Customer Experience Representatives. You’ll find them at the information desks at the Domestic Terminal west crossover and in the transportation mall at the Plane Train. TSA’s empty water bottle entry allows an empty bottle in carry-on and checked bags, with the officer at the checkpoint making the final call. Concourses A to E are separate buildings out on the airfield, which is why a bottle isn’t worth a train ride.

The airport’s terminal map lists bottled water at shops and food counters on every concourse. Here is one per concourse with long hours, beside the nearest Coca-Cola vending machines. Those are open 24 hours, except on D, where no hours are listed. The map doesn’t say what the machines hold. Every machine is on the vending page, by gate.

Before the first shop opens, our open 24 hours page lists what stays open all night.

Sources

• Our food and shops directory, water refill page, vending page, information desks page and open 24 hours page
• TSA’s food list and liquids rule, ATL’s passenger security page, the airport’s terminal map and CLEAR’s food guide