Scotland’s largest haggis maker creating new recipe to meet US rules
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Macsween working to circumvent food regulations that have banned traditional recipe in US for more than 50 years. Scotland’s largest haggis maker is creating a new “compliant” recipe of the nation’s most famous dish to circumvent strict American food regulations after more than 50 years in exile.
The decision by Macsween of Edinburgh comes after traditional haggis was banned by the US authorities in 1971, taking issue with the sheep’s-lung component of the recipe, which was then banned for use as human food by federal regulation. Traditional haggis contains about 15% sheep lung. The 1971 law effectively made it illegal to import or sell traditional haggis, making it difficult for Scottish-Americans to access the country’s most famous dish.
Over the years, petitions to end the decades-old ban have been made by former environment secretaries and there have been stories of smuggled, bootleg and blackmarket haggis. Macsween is to substitute sheep lung with sheep heart, according to the Telegraph. But those with Scottish ancestry hoping to celebrate Burns Night with the substitution will have to wait another year, as the company is now testing the product with the aim of launching in January 2026.
A US launch would be a “significant opportunity”, the managing director of Macsween of Edinburgh, James Macsween, said, adding that the industry was losing nearly £2m annually in potential sales with the existing ban. “In response to this longstanding ban, we have been innovating to create a compliant version of haggis without compromising the dish’s authentic flavours and texture,” Macsween said.
