Cupcakegate': TSA Defends Its Confiscation of a Woman's Cupcake

PEABODY, Mass. (The Blaze/AP) -- Are you ready for the latest update on "Cupcakegate?" As we reported in late December, the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confiscated a frosted cupcake from a Massachusetts woman flying from Las Vegas. Now, the agency is defending its actions.

The TSA says in a blog comment posted Monday the cupcake was packed in a jar filled with icing, which is considered a gel under a policy designed to secure travelers from terrorists seeking to evade detection by using explosives made of plastics, liquids or gels.

TSA blogger Bob Burns defended the agency in what he dubbed "Cupcakegate." He wrote:

This will be short and “sweet.” Like many of you, when I think of a cupcake, I don’t think of it being in a jar. However, the photo below shows the “cupcake” that was prohibited from being taken into the cabin of a plane last month.

I wanted to make it clear that this wasn’t your everyday, run-of-the-mill cupcake. If you’re not familiar with it, we have a policy directly related to the UK liquid bomb plot of 2006 called 3-1-1 that  limits the amount of liquids, gels and aerosols you can bring in your carry-on luggage. Icing falls under the “gel” category.  As you can see from the picture, unlike a thin layer of icing that resides on the top of most cupcakes, this cupcake had a thick layer of icing inside a jar.

Here's the image, showing the difference between a normal cupcake and a cupcake "in a jar," that was shared on the blog:

Peabody resident Rebecca Hains was barred from taking her cupcake onto a plane last month when a TSA agent said icing in the jar exceeded amounts of gels allowed in carry-on luggage. Hains has called that "terrible logic."

The TSA says travelers can take cakes, pies and cupcakes through security checkpoints but should expect they might get additional screening. And, as Burns writes, "if something doesn’t seem right, there is always the potential you won’t be able to take it through."