Kraft Promises TSA-Compliant Ranch Packets Amidst World Cup Frenzy
Visitors came for the games — but they want to leave with ranch.
Liudmila Chernetska/Getty
Ranch dressing can be divisive — a love or hate thing. This we have long known. But what we might not have anticipated was how hard people traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup this year would fall for the apparently quintessentially American condiment, or the social media frenzy that would follow.
After the TSA warned people not to fly with full bottles of ranch in their carry-on bags, Kraft is offering a solution to those who want to take some home.
What does ranch dressing have to do with the World Cup?
World Cup fans who’ve traveled to the U.S. to watch the games and tour the country have found lots of gems, such as Buc-ee's. They've also discovered ranch dressing and taken to social media to sing its praises.
“EUROPE WE NEED RANCH ASAP,” wrote one Swedish woman visiting the U.S. in an X post that has been viewed more than 10 million times.
That post has generated more than 800 responses:
“Ranch dressing is so good with French fries, and also on pizza (trust me),” wrote one commenter.
“Welcome to the Midwest. Ranch is a basic food here,” responded another.
“You don’t have ranch dressing wtf?” exclaimed a third.
The same Swedish traveler followed up with a series of posts proclaiming her newfound love for ranch.
“I think my trip just turned into — find the best ranch in America,” she wrote, later adding, “I’m going to need a bag just for ranch.”
What did the TSA say about the World Cup ranch craze?
“If you’re visiting for a very large sporting event & you happen to discover RANCH while you’re here… pls pack it in your CHECKED BAG on the way home. Thank you,” read a post on the official X account of the Transportation Security Administration, viewed more than 5 million times.
In a repost of the message on Instagram, the TSA acknowledged the excitement of this moment in ranch dressing history: “One World. One Ranch. Who knew dip-lomacy could be achieved through addressing the obvious: ranch is the king of condiments. The world is slowly discovering ranch pairs perfectly with pizza, chicken wings, fries, onion rings, quesadillas, crackers, chips, vegetables, and the list just keeps growing.”
The agency then shared more detailed guidance about flying with ranch: “Are you kicking around the idea of flying home with your favorite dip?” it wrote. “If you’re traveling within the U.S., make sure to keep your carry-on sauces to 3.4oz or less and place any larger containers in your checked bags.”
Then it signed off with this message: “Some heroes wear capes. Others bring ranch.”
Among the hundreds of responses to the TSAs Instagram post were messages from brands ranging from the Cheesecake Factory to Heinz, Jack-in-the-Box to Tabasco, Hellmann’s to Levi’s to CVS Pharmacy. Yes, ranch dressing is now a bandwagon and a free PR brand boon.
How has Hidden Valley responded?
Hidden Valley Ranch, for its part, took to Instagram to echo the TSA’s warning with a humorous video showing someone emptying a bottle of its ranch dressing into travel-sized bottles. “Remember to pack bottled ranch in your checked bag to avoid this nightmare,” it wrote, adding parenthetically. “This is a joke pls keep any open ranch bottles refrigerated.”
“Looks like we need some official TSA-approved Hidden Valley Ranch bottles now,” read one response.
But to be fair, the brand was way ahead of this. Before the World Cup even started, it hired teams of ranch-bassadors to travel Europe this summer and spread the joys of America's beloved condiment. Looks like their quest just got a little easier.
And how has Kraft responded?
Kraft is heeding the call. The brand is promising “TSA-compliant” ranch dressing packages.
“Some visitors leave with souvenirs. Others leave with America’s favorite dressing,” it wrote on Instagram, alongside a partly AI-generated image of the travel-size ranch packets.
“Introducing Kraft TSA Compliant Ranch, a travel-friendly way to bring the taste of America home,’ the brand said, teasing that it was “working on the real thing.”
TSA-rule-adhering ranch dressing lovers new and old can "stay tuned for details” on how to get Kraft’s forthcoming travel-compliant packets.
We’re guessing they have Europe’s full attention.
Try This Recipe
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Ree Drummond's Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe, from The Pioneer Woman on Food Network, features buttermilk, fresh herbs and cayenne pepper.
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