Why Is Biltong Illegal in the US? The Real Story Behind the Ban

Why is biltong illegal in the US? It isn't — making and selling biltong in America is completely legal. What's illegal is importing it. The USDA bans raw and air-dried meat products from South Africa because of animal disease risk (think foot-and-mouth), not because of anything wrong with biltong itself. So the biltong you buy here must be made here, under USDA inspection.

That's the 50-word answer. The longer story involves confiscated suitcases, heartbroken expats, and the reason a South African family recipe ended up being made in the United States. Let's get into it.

Why can't South African biltong be imported?

The US Department of Agriculture restricts meat imports based on the animal health status of the country of origin. South Africa has had outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, so raw beef products — and biltong is air-dried, never cooked — don't qualify for import. It doesn't matter how clean the butchery is or how good the vinegar cure is. No heat treatment, no entry.

Notice what the rule is not about: it's not about biltong being unsafe to eat. South Africans have been curing beef with vinegar, salt and coriander for 400 years, and the method exists precisely because it keeps meat safe without refrigeration. The ban is about livestock disease crossing borders, full stop.

Can I bring biltong into the US in my luggage?

No. Customs and Border Protection will confiscate it, and you can be fined for not declaring it. Every South African expat has a story about this — the ziplock bag from home that never made it past the beagle at the airport. Declare it and lose it, or don't declare it and risk a penalty that costs more than a year's supply. Neither is worth it.

Can you take biltong on a plane inside the US?

Yes. Domestic flights are fine — biltong is shelf-stable and TSA doesn't care about dried meat in your carry-on. The rules only bite at international borders. Flying from Austin to Denver with a bag of biltong: legal, and frankly recommended.

So how does legal biltong exist in America?

Simple: it's made in the USA, from US beef, in USDA-inspected facilities. Same method, same spices, different hemisphere. That's exactly what we do at Billi Tong's — my family's recipe from the Cape winelands, made with American grass-fed beef and air-dried for days, the way it's always been done. The recipe crossed the border; the meat never had to.

If you're curious what that method actually looks like, I've written the whole thing up gram by gram in our traditional biltong recipe, and the story of the craft in how biltong is made.

Is biltong legal in every US state?

Yes. Once it's made domestically under USDA inspection, biltong is just another meat snack in the eyes of the law — it ships to all 50 states like jerky does. We ship USA-wide (free over $99, and free hand delivery within 5 miles of downtown Austin, because someone has to spoil this town).

FAQ

Why is biltong banned in the US?

Only imported biltong is banned. The USDA prohibits raw, air-dried meat from countries with foot-and-mouth disease history, including South Africa. US-made biltong is fully legal and USDA-inspected.

What happens if customs finds biltong in your bag?

It gets confiscated and destroyed, and undeclared meat products can draw fines. Declare any food you're carrying — you'll still lose the biltong, but not the money.

Is biltong safe to eat if it's never cooked?

Yes. The vinegar cure, salt, and days of air-drying create an environment where harmful bacteria can't survive — that's the whole reason the method exists. It's how meat was kept safe for 400 years before refrigeration. More in is biltong healthy.

Where can I buy real biltong in the US?

From American makers using the traditional method. Ours is grass-fed, air-dried for days, protein-packed, and ships USA-wide.

Craving the real thing without a customs incident? Shop biltong — made legally, the 400-year-old way.