Ever wonder where all the food that people try to sneak past customs ends up? This video, by Great Big Story, gives a look, and, boy, does it look wasteful. U.S. Customs supervisor Ellie Scaffa reminds everyone that their job is actually keeping harmful insects and bacteria away from American plants and animals, even if that means sending tablefuls of various root vegetables, Ibérico ham, Chinese beef candy, durian, and so many avocados and mangoes to something called “the grinder.”
“I’ve taken mangoes from passengers from Jamaica and been threatened with my life,” Scaffa says. “Never a dull moment here at JFK.” She and her team apparently confiscate about 400 to 600 pounds of illegal food a day, and right now — between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chinese New Year — is what you might call their busy season.
