So will US lift 45-year import ban on haggis?

IT is currently deemed ‘unfit for human consumption’ in the United States and has been banned from shops and restaurants there for more than 40 years.

But it looks like haggis could be back on the menu for millions of Americans – with a few changes to the recipe, that is.

The dish was banned in 1971 when the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) ruled that food containing sheep lung could not be consumed by humans and it was therefore illegal for businesses and consumers to import it.

A further ban on UK beef and lamb in 1989 in the US due to the BSE outbreak complicated matters.

However, with the USDA set to lift this ban, Scottish officials and hag- gis manufacturers are hoping that it could pave the way for the reintroduction of haggis into the US market – and that it could be on sale by November next year.

With around ten million Americans claiming Scottish ancestry, it is believed that the move could prove extremely lucrative for exporters.

But there would have to be some changes made to the traditional recipe, as the USDA has no plans to reverse its ruling that sheep lung is ‘unfit for human consumption’.

James Macsween, the managing director of Macsween of Edinburgh, travelled to Washington DC last year to speak to the USDA and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

He said that the talks were positive and with the ban on beef and lamb set to be lifted, he sees no reason why haggis will not be on sale by the end of next year. He added: ‘Ultimately there is a highly likely chance of getting haggis to America next year. I travelled there last year and spoke with industry bodies and they think that it could be by November 2017 that they will get haggis.

‘It will be a different time-scale from just meat – beef and lamb.

‘It has been banned since 1971 so it is a very old ban. I remember my father talking about it and the impact it had on the industry, but good news is around the corner.

‘It will potentially be massive, the market is huge. From a market point of view, it could be very lucrative.’

Mr Macsween, who runs the business that was founded by his grandfather, said he has already got a lungfree product ready to send.

He added: ‘We already have a recipe, which tastes just like the real thing. It is very tasty.

‘There will be challenges and everything will have to meet the standards expected, but it will be good.’

He also claimed the delicacy has risen in popularity recently, with more than 1,500 tons of meat and vegetarian haggis being sold every year by the company.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Traditional Scottish haggis has not been available in the US for decades but the consultation announced last week by the USDA paves the way for this to change by next year.

‘We have pushed for this change and our haggis producers have confirmed they are already working on a recipe that would comply with US requirements.

‘We know that around ten million US citizens claim Scottish heritage, so unlocking that market is a potentially massive opportunity for Scottish producers and farmers.’

In April, the UK Government gave US officials a 1,000-page dossier detailing greatly improved standards on British farms in recent years.

‘It will potentially be massive’