20 Jan 08 Haggis

The Scottish Government is thinking about  asking the United States to change its ban on the import of haggis

Imports were banned by the US in 1989 after the BSE scare because it contains offal ingredients such as sheep lungs.

Only an offal-free version of haggis is available in the US.

The move would be backed by renowned haggis maker Macsween, which believes the American market could be a very lucrative one.

The market is potentially massive because there are so many expat Scots there.

The dish, traditionally served with tatties and neeps on Burns’ night, usually contains a sheep’s lungs, liver and heart minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt mixed with stock.

It is then boiled in the animal’s stomach for around three hours.

A spokesman for the US Department of Agriculture said: “We do not allow importation because of the UK’s BSE status.”

Britain’s Food Standards Agency replied that they saw no reason why people cannot eat haggis safely, as long as manufacturers follow hygiene regulations, and pointed out the the UK has the strictest BSE controls in the world.