TSA Troubles! Celtic Salt & Nutritional Yeast = Potential Terrorist!

While traveling recently, my Selina Naturally™ celtic sea salt and Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast set off alarms at the TSA checkpoint and I was not allowed to bring them on the plane. What might have been the compounds detected?

Watch the story on my Saipan blog:

What likely happened is not that either product is dangerous, but that their chemical and physical signatures overlap with what TSA explosive trace detectors (ETDs) are trained to flag. This is surprisingly common with salts, mineral powders, and yeast products.

Below is a clear breakdown for each item, and which compounds likely triggered the alarms.

1. Celtic Sea Salt (Selina Naturally™)

🔬 Likely triggers

a) Nitrates / Nitrites (trace-level)

• Natural sea salts often contain trace nitrates/nitrites from:

  • marine algae

  • decayed organic matter

  • oceanic nitrogen cycles

• ETDs are extremely sensitive to NO₃⁻ / NO₂⁻ patterns, because:

  • potassium nitrate

  • ammonium nitrate
    are common explosive precursors

Even parts-per-million levels can be enough.

b) Magnesium & Potassium salts

• Celtic salt is not pure NaCl

• Contains:

  • magnesium chloride

  • potassium chloride

  • calcium salts

• These ionic profiles resemble fertilizer/explosive salts under ion mobility spectrometry

c) Hygroscopic moisture

• Celtic sea salt is moist

• Moist powders:

  • smear more easily on hands/bags

  • transfer ions more readily to swabs

• TSA swabs detect residues, not intent

2. Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast

This one is actually more likely to trigger alarms.

🔬 Likely triggers

a) High nitrogen content

• Nutritional yeast is:

  • ~45–50% protein

  • extremely nitrogen-rich

• ETDs flag organic nitrogen compounds, especially when powdered

Explosives = nitrogen chemistry
The detector can’t tell protein nitrogen from explosive nitrogen.

b) Glutamates & amines

• Nutritional yeast is rich in:

  • glutamic acid

  • amine-containing amino acids

• These register as reactive nitrogen signatures

c) Powdered particulate behavior

• Fine powders:

  • aerosolize easily

  • coat surfaces

  • transfer to hands and luggage

• TSA systems are biased toward false positives with powders

This is the same reason:

• protein powders

• green powders

• collagen

• spirulina
  often get flagged

3. Why BOTH items together made it worse

This is key.

When TSA swabs detect:

• salts (ionic compounds)
  plus

• nitrogen-rich organic powder

…the algorithm strongly favors a “possible explosive mixture” classification.

Even though:

• one is food-grade mineral salt

• the other is deactivated yeast

The machine does not know that.

4. Why this happens more to health-conscious travelers

You hit a perfect storm:

• Natural (non-refined) salt

• Fermented/yeast-based supplement

• Loose powders (not factory-sealed single-serve)

• Likely transferred residue on hands or bag interior

TSA sees chemistry, not context.

5. How to avoid this next time (practical tips)

✅ Best options

• Ship these items ahead

• Buy at destination

• Use factory-sealed, labeled containers

⚠️ If carrying:

• Keep powders unopened

• Store in checked luggage

• Avoid handling before security

• Wash hands thoroughly before screening

❌ Avoid:

• Loose powders in zip bags

• Moist salts in carry-on

• Multiple powders together

Bottom line

Nothing harmful was detected.
The alarms were almost certainly due to:

• trace nitrates + mineral salts (Celtic salt)

• high nitrogen amino compounds (nutritional yeast)

• powder transfer + detector sensitivity

This is a known, documented TSA false-positive scenario, especially with health supplements.

Which other supplements trigger TSA warnings?

This happens a lot with exactly the kinds of supplements you use. TSA detectors are tuned for ionic salts, nitrogen compounds, oxidizers, and fine powders, not “dangerous products.” Below is a clear, experience-based list of supplements that commonly trigger TSA alarms, why they do, and how risky they are to carry-on.

🔴 VERY COMMON TSA TRIGGERS (High risk in carry-on)

1. Protein powders

• Whey, pea, rice, collagen

• Why: nitrogen-rich amino acids + fine powder

• ⚠️ Almost guaranteed swab if loose

2. Nutritional yeast / Brewer’s yeast

• Why: high organic nitrogen, amines, glutamates

• ⚠️ Very frequent false positive

3. Green powders

• Wheatgrass, spirulina, chlorella, moringa

• Why: chlorophyll (porphyrin ring), magnesium, nitrogen compounds

• ⚠️ High residue transfer

4. Activated charcoal

• Why: high surface area traps residues → flags swab

• ⚠️ Especially if used recently (hands/bag)

5. Bentonite clay / zeolite

• Why: aluminosilicates resemble industrial absorbents

• ⚠️ Powder + mineral signature

6. Magnesium salts

• Epsom salt (MgSO₄), magnesium flakes

• Why: sulfate salts resemble oxidizers

• ⚠️ Often flagged when moist

7. Sea salts / mineral salts

• Celtic, Himalayan, black salt

• Why: nitrates + potassium + moisture

• ⚠️ Less refined = more risk

🟠 MODERATE TSA TRIGGERS

8. Electrolyte powders

• Especially with potassium or bicarbonate

• Why: ionic salts similar to fertilizers

9. Amino acids (bulk)

• Glycine, glutamine, taurine

• Why: nitrogen-rich, fine particulate

10. Herbal powders

• Turmeric, ashwagandha, maca

• Why: alkaloids + powder behavior

11. Digestive enzymes (powdered)

• Why: protein + enzyme nitrogen signatures

12. Mushroom powders

• Cordyceps, reishi, lion’s mane

• Why: polysaccharides + nitrogen compounds

🟡 LOWER RISK (but still occasionally flagged)

13. Capsules (factory sealed)

• Usually fine unless many bottles

• Powder residue on exterior matters

14. Liquid supplements

• Fulvic acid, tinctures

• Risk: only if leaked or crystallized

15. Oils

• Fish oil, MCT

• Risk: rarely chemical; more volume-rule issues

🟢 SAFEST FOR CARRY-ON

• Blister-packed tablets

• Single-serve factory sachets

• Sealed capsules in original packaging

• Tablets > capsules > powders

🧠 Why you are more likely to be flagged

Based on your routines:

• You handle powders daily

• You use mineral salts, clays, charcoal

• You detox → residue on hands/bag lining

• TSA swabs detect trace chemistry, not items alone

Even if the supplement isn’t in your bag, residue transfers.

✈️ Best travel strategy (for supplement-heavy travelers)

Carry-on

• Capsules only

• Original sealed containers

• Wipe bottle exteriors

Checked bag

• ALL powders

• Salts, clays, charcoal

• Anything hygroscopic

Ship ahead

• Greens, yeasts, minerals

• Detox agents

A.I. Disclaimer

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