One traveler’s dedication to digestive health resulted in an unexpected security breach.
Anna McKay, 34, had just flown from her home in Phoenix, Arizona, to Midland, Texas, when she picked up her suitcase and found an inspection tag from the TSA.
She explains on TikTok that “everything seemed normal until I got to my fiber bag, which looks like it’s been spilled because I didn’t pack it like this.”
McKay tells PEOPLE that this was her first time flying with powdered fiber, which she started buying from Costco in large containers.
A man was stopped by airport security for a mysterious Christmas present. His grandmother told him not to open it
“That’s probably half a gallon of Benefiber,” she notes of the product, which is why she decided to take only the portion she needed for the trip in a clear plastic bag.
McKay says the thought that the TSA would have to investigate the substance didn’t cross her mind as she was packing.
“I do things from the healthy girl era,” she says, adding that she also loads up on vitamins. “I didn’t even consider it, but of course when I saw it and understood it, of course it looks crazy.”
“It was a total bang on the forehead,” she says.
Fiber powder McKay packaged.
Anna McKay/TikTok
McKay says security officials may have thought the powder was “some kind of party drug,” but joked that if anyone tried it, they might “have bathroom problems later.”
Since posting her experience on TikTok, she has received numerous responses from people who found it relatable.
“There are so many comments from people telling their stories about the TSA inspecting something stupid of theirs,” she says.
Some commenters also recommended marking the contents of the bag with a Sharpie, but McKay points out that this probably wouldn’t discourage inspections because someone could “package a brick of drugs and just write ‘fiber’ on it.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(499x0:501x2)/fiber-powder-tsa-inspection-101724-2-8263a7ad8f404455b32eba9f1b36f178.jpg)
The inspection mark received by McKay.
Anna McKay/TikTok
Winona Ryder says she’s missed flights repeating her acquaintances bug juice Line for TSA agents: ‘It’s become a thing’
Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
While the TSA website does not mention fiber travel guidelines, it does note that protein or energy powders are allowed in carry-on and checked bags. However, they will be subject to inspection.
“Powder substances greater than 12 oz. / 350 mL must be placed in a special container for X-ray examination”, it is stated. “Additional verification may be required and containers may need to be opened. For your convenience, we recommend that you put non-essential powders larger than 12 oz. in checked bags.
McKay says she has since learned that there are sealed single-use packets of a digestive supplement she can buy for travel. But she is not worried about the incident.
“It’s fiber; I can get it anywhere,” she says. “However. If it was a loss, it was a loss. No big deal.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education