Overview

• The incident occurred in March when Pompeo set off security alarms with an unopened bag of organic sunflower seeds from Erewhon.
• TSA officials detained her for an hour and summoned bomb specialists after flagging a suspected chemical on the packaging.
• She offered to dispose of the seeds but remained in custody until explosives experts confirmed the snack was harmless, nearly making her miss her flight.
• In a Travel + Leisure interview published June 3, Pompeo described the surreal ordeal and joked about texting her publicist that no one would believe the reason for her delay.
• The episode has drawn attention to TSA food rules, underscoring that solid snacks are generally permitted but packaging residues can trigger extra screening.