The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Tuesday said it has begun to screen powdered substances at aviation checkpoints nationwide, adding another layer of security.
While airline passengers are not prohibited from carrying-on common powders, chemical powders can be used to make improvised explosive devices.
TSA purchased 1,250 test kits for $185,000 from Mistral Security, which is part of Maryland-based Mistral Group. The test kits were pilot tested in 2008.
As a passenger’s carry-on items are passed through an X-ray machine, if the Transportation Security Officer determines that a secondary screening is necessary, another officer will take a sample by pouring a small amount onto a test strip and put a solution on it. The solution will indicate whether the substance is harmful.
TSA says the “vast majority” of powders such as medication, baby formula and makeup, are unlikely to need additional screening.