Commander in chief urged to let chieftain o’ the puddin’ race into us
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The United States banned the Scottish delicacy in 1971 because it deemed sheep's lungs to be inedible. Now, senior aides to the President and Commander in Chief are being urged to let
haggis back into the country. UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is to hold talks with his US counterpart, Tom Vilsack in bid open up a market potentially worth millions to Scottish
producers. The market for the great chieftain o’ the puddin’ race is already valued at around £15million in the UK and could be worth far more in the US. 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." He added: "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." James Macsween, director of haggis maker
Macsween of Edinburgh, said: "The opportunities for exporting our haggis into 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."