Haggis to tackle US obesity crisis

That’s according to Conservative peer Lord McColl of Dulwich, who also urged the prime minister David Cameron to persuade US president Barack Obama to lift the ban while on an official visit to Washington​ this week.

“The US government are depriving 24M American Scots this wholesome food, which satisfies hunger very much more than the junk food Americans consume,” ​he said.

‘Greatest epidemic they have’​

“It would help to deal with the greatest epidemic they have – the obesity epidemic – which is killing millions, costing billions of dollars and for which the cure is free.” ​

The United States Food and Drug Administration does not allow the import of haggis as it contains animal lungs for human consumption.

However, the UK was currently working with US authorities to lift the restrictions, said food minister Lord de Mauley.

There were two “hurdles” ​to overcome before this could be achieved, which included US restrictions on lamb imports and the US’s unwillingness to recognise animal lungs as an acceptable foodstuff, de Mauley explained.

“In this regard, the most promising avenue in the short term is the production of haggis omitting the inclusion of lung – and the Scottish government recognises this,” ​he added.

'Unjustified and outdated '​

Meanwhile, James Macsween, joint md and owner of haggis manufacturer Macsween, slammed the US import ban as "unjustified and outdated". ​

The Scottish firm had been using the same recipe for 60 years and wouldn't contemplate removing lung from it – as suggested by de Mauley – he told FoodManufacture.co.uk.

"Haggis made without lung would change the texture and overall eating experience, it's the reason haggis is light and fluffy,"​ Macsween said.

"Like our counterparts on the continent, as a nation the UK are far more engaged with nose-to-tail eating than America and haggis is a dish that honours this."​