By: Robbie Dinwoodie, Herald Scotland

It was a week when Scotland toasted record global whisky exports, and Hillary Clinton joined in the St Andrew’s Day celebrations by sending a special message to Scots the world over. But, despite the US Secretary of State’s praise for the special ties between the nations and Scotland’s “unique culture and traditions”, that goodwill does not extend to our national dish, which has been banned for four decades in America.  And while ex-pats can raise a glass of proper Scotch come Burns Night, they have been unable to address a traditional Scots haggis, made from a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, due to an import ban.

Now, with Holyrood’s equivalent of the foreign secretary also in Washington DC, the Scottish Government has decided there is no better time to take the first step on the road to opening the US market to haggis, beef, lamb and venison exports. Haggis was first banned in the 1970s, caught up in a general US bar on the sale of all products, domestic or imported, which contained livestock lungs. This ban, which remains in place on public health grounds, is strongly disputed on this side of the Atlantic. A decade later, the spectre of BSE arrived and, amid the headlines about mad cow disease, the US banned the import of red meat from the UK, extending that ban to the rest of the EU in the 1990s.

An application has now been forwarded by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), outlining the case for importing quality Scottish red meat and red meat products into the United States. Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “Exports to the US are of key importance to our food and drink sector and this is a positive step forward. “Although there is a long way to go in the process, we remain proactive in encouraging the USDA to lift the long-standing ban on importation of red meat and red meat products, including haggis, from Scotland and the rest of the EU.”

The move comes as Culture and External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop is on a visit to the US. She tweeted yesterday: “Strong interest in Scotland at St Andrew’s Day do in Washington. Hundreds there.” Jo Macsween, director of Macsween, one of Scotland’s leading haggis makers, said: “I am delighted to hear progress is being made in this respect and we look forward to the prospect of sharing Macsween haggis with American consumers in the near future.” She added that a recent feature by Scots chat show host Craig Ferguson in the US had resulted in a boost for Macsween’s vegetarian haggis, which guests dubbed “awesome”, but they hoped to get a chance to sell the real thing.

Jim McLaren, chairman of Quality Meat Scotland, said: “With the huge popularity in the US of all things Scottish, hopefully these negotiations will one day give American consumers the chance to finally taste authentic, high-quality Scotch beef and lamb.” The next stage will be for the USDA to consider the application. Meanwhile, the European Commission will continue its own lobbying efforts to achieve a relaxation of import controls. A Government spokeswoman said that substitute haggis products were available in the US but added: “Their use at Burns Suppers is largely symbolic because they are not a patch on authentic Scottish haggis.”