BY CHRIS SANDS
Why Haggis Is Banned In The US
Haggis, a concoction of sheep offal and other delicacies, is Scotland’s national dish, and so beloved that poet Robert Burns wrote an ode in its honor, “Address to the Haggis.”
In the traditional recipe, a sheep's stomach is filled with sheep lungs, heart, liver, oatmeal, suet, and seasonings and then boiled. Haggis has been banned in the U.S. since 1971.
Haggis fell foul of American regulations which prohibit the consumption of lungs from any livestock due to concerns about the risk of contamination during slaughter processes.
The U.S. lifted the haggis import ban in 2021. However, eating lungs is still prohibited, so the traditional recipe will need to change if Americans are to enjoy this unusual dish.
Even though altering haggis ingredients sparks cultural and culinary debates, Scottish producers are developing an export version, so lung-free haggis may soon appear in the U.S.