Scotland to petition US to bring back haggis

Senior aides to Barack Obama are to be urged to let traditional Scottish haggis back into the US by ending a decades-old import ban. The consumption of sheep lung, a key ingredient of haggis alongside heart and liver, has been banned in the US since 1971, while all British lamb has been banned since 1989 following the BSE crisis.

The UK's environment secretary, Owen Paterson, will ask his US opposite number, Tom Vilsack, to end the ban during a meeting in the US today, and open up a market potentially worth millions to Scottish producers.

The haggis market is already worth approximately £15m in the UK and could be worth far more in the US, given the popularity of Scottish heritage in the country, Paterson said.

Scottish producers asked Mr Paterson to take action when they met him at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh last week. He said: "I share many haggis producers' disappointment that American diners are currently unable to enjoy the taste of Scotland's wonderful national dish in their own country.

"I am meeting my US counterpart today to discuss how we can begin exporting it, particularly as so many Americans enjoy celebrating their Scottish heritage. This government has opened many markets for our home-grown food and drink businesses.

"I will continue to do everything I can to boost exports of everything from whisky to haggis to support Scotland's farmers and rural economy."

The Scottish secretary, Alistair Carmichael, said: "In my own constituency, we produce some of the finest lamb in the country, if not the world, so I know just how good Scottish meat can be. It seems only right that the UK government continues to use its considerable influence to open up as many opportunities as possible, to reintroduce our produce where markets have been closed and to create new ones wherever it can.

"As for haggis, all I can say is, the Americans don't know what they're missing. Let's try to put that right, too."

James Macsween, director of haggis maker Macsween of Edinburgh, said: "The opportunities for exporting our haggis to the American market are very exciting and I am delighted to hear progress is being made in this respect.

"With the huge popularity in the US of all things Scottish, hopefully these negotiations will allow American consumers the chance to finally taste authentic, high-quality Macsween haggis very soon."

The government hopes the ban on British lamb can be lifted as part of a European Union-US trade deal currently being negotiated, which is potentially worth more than £10bn to the British economy overall. It follows Paterson's successful lobbying to lift a ban on UK beef exports to the US earlier this year.

During his visit, Paterson will also promote British food and drink products at the Summer Fancy food show in New York, where brands such as Walkers' Shortbread have made inroads into the American specialist food market, which is worth an estimated $85bn (£49.9bn) a year.