Taking this Trader Joe’s item through the airport could get you arrested

Trader Joe’s has gained a bit of a cult following in recent years, on account of their ‘local store’ feel, even though it’s a chain.

It’s known for its hand-drawn chalk signs, organic food, and Hawaiian shirt-clad staff who are known for being super-friendly.

As any US store that gains a bit of a following, tourists who visit want to bring home merchandise as souvenirs, but this popular item could get you into big trouble with airport security.

That’s right, it’s Everything But The Bagel seasoning. With bagels being a staple of NYC and US food in general, people around the world try to get their hands on this seasoning that is said to go well with everything you could put between two pieces of bread.

The seasoning has been duped by plenty of brands, but the OG comes from Trader Joe’s and contains sesame seeds, sea salt flakes, dried mince garlic, dried mined onion, black sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.

And it’s one of these ingredients that has gotten people into trouble in airports in South Korea specifically.

What ingredient is banned in South Korea?

As of 2022, South Korea has banned the importing of poppy seeds into the country due to their use in opiate production.

“Seed products with narcotic substances have always been banned from being brought into Korea. Recently, the customs offices have been strengthening crackdown on narcotic related items,” South Korean airport representatives told CNN.

It looks like a lot of people flying from America to South Korea have been trying to bring the Everything But The Bagel seasoning through airport security, because in 2024 a sign has been spotted at Incheon International Airport in Seoul with pictures of the popular condiment.

A Korean blogger on a web portal website called Naver detailed their run-ins with customs over the Trader Joe’s seasoning.

“I bought about 20 of them as gifts, but they came out with a yellow Incheon Airport customs lock on the carrier,” the user wrote.

While poppy seeds themselves are not narcotics, they can become contaminated by the poppy plant itself during the harvesting process. Because the poppies themselves are the source of opiates, South Korea has banned byproducts altogether.

The American embassy in South Korea warns U.S. travelers that “attempting to travel into Korea with these products could result in a criminal investigation resulting in fines, entry and exit bans, or even imprisonment.”

So, next time you think about bringing some memorabilia home from Trader Joe’s for a loved one, stick to the viral tote bags if you want to stay out of trouble.