Screening will never include placing anything into the medically necessary liquid. TSA X-ray machines do not adversely affect food or medicines. However, if you do not want the formula, breast milk, toddler drinks, and baby/toddler food (to include puree pouches) to be X-rayed or opened, please inform the TSA officer.

When traveling in 2026, the TSA treats breast milk as a "medically necessary liquid," exempting it from the standard 3.4oz limit. To test it, officers will first ask you to separate the milk from your other belongings for X-ray screening. If you prefer that the milk not pass through the X-ray, you can request alternative screening, which typically involves a visual inspection and a vapor test. For this, the officer may ask you to open the container so they can hold a test strip over it to detect explosives or prohibited chemicals without touching the liquid itself. In some cases, they may pour a small sample into a separate testing vial. It is a peer-to-peer "pro-tip" to keep your milk in clear, translucent bottles rather than opaque bags to speed up this process. You are also permitted to carry frozen gel packs and "slushy" ice to keep the milk cold; these will be screened alongside the milk but are generally not subjected to the same rigorous chemical testing.