Italian airport officials clear large jars of pesto for take-off

IT IS the bane of air travellers around the world – having liquids of more than 100ml in volume confiscated by hatchet-faced security officials.

An Italian airport has now made an exception to the strictly enforced rule – but only for pesto sauce.

The relaxation of the regulation has been made by Genoa, the home of pesto, which consists of pine nuts, olive oil, basil, garlic and Parmesan.

Passengers are now able to carry jars of up to 500ml of pesto as hand luggage on flights leaving Genoa in north-west Italy.

The project has been dubbed “Il Pesto e Buono” – Pesto is Good.

The only stipulation is that it must be genuine “pesto Genovese” – not some mass-produced stuff bought from a supermarket.

The airport describes it as “an initiative that is unique in the world”.

“Only in Genoa” was how one local newspaper described it when it was launched this month.

Officials at Cristoforo Colombo [Christopher Columbus] airport decided to make the allowance because of the huge quantities of pesto that are seized and thrown away each year.

Around 500 jars were being confiscated every three or four months.

Tourists were often upset that they were unable to take home an edible souvenir of their stay.

The new rule will ensure they have happy memories of their time in Genoa, officials said.

Travellers just have to buy a special stamp, costing 45p, which allows them to take the precious green sauce on board a plane. It will still pass through normal security checks, just like other liquids of more than 100ml, including breast milk and medicines.

“As long as you have the stamp, you can go over the 100ml limit and carry a jar of up to 500ml of pesto,” said Paolo Sirigu, the director-general of the airport. “Passengers will just have to show it to security officials and they will allow the pesto to be carried as hand luggage.”