Haggis in America!

Haggis has been banned in America since 1989 when America decided Britain's BSE outbreak was enough to take scottish sheep lungs of there menu.
But now Haggis, the dish called the "great chieftain o' and the pudding race" could be coming back to America, after the US Government announced there plans to relax legislation introduced on imported meats that has been preventing the sale of haggis...
The ban was introduced in 1989 because of concerns about the safety of British meat. The issue remained with the dispute that the import of haggis should not be restricted.
Yesterday, the US Department of Agriculture said new regulations were in progress. A spokeswoman told The Sunday Times that the review was being carried out in the line of a ruling from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that sheep lung. A main ingredient in the Burns Night dish which will be eaten tonight (I posted this late so it was probly a couple nights ago) in homes across the UK, That it is safe to eat. She said, "By closely aligning our import rules with the OIE, we will allow the importation of certain ruminant products that do not contain tissues associated with BSE infectivity or ruminants raised under conditions where they were not fed prohibited materials associated with spreading BSE."
The Scottish Government welcomed the move, which coincides with Burn's Night, the traditional supper held tonight (a couple nights back) to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said that the news was"greatly encouraging".
He also said, "We are in regular contact with the industry and believe reversing the ban would deliver a vote of confidence in Scottish producers, and allow American consumers to sample our world-renowned national dish."

Information found at
http://m.independent.co.uk/



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