US urged to un-ban food outlawed since 1970s ahead of World Cup
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
The FIFA Men’s World Cup is fast approaching, and revellers from one nation competing in the premier football tournament are begging United States health officials to reinstate a banned food item.
On 11 June, Mexico, Canada, and the US will officially become joint hosts of the 23rd World Cup, the first competition to feature 48 teams, including England, Senegal, Jordan, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.
Scotland, considered the joint-oldest football team in the world, is contending for Silvio Gazzaniga’s sculpted trophy for the first time since 1998, with group stage matches against Haiti, Morocco and Brazil on the cards.
Ahead of the Tartan Army’s opening match at the Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots, on 14 June, fans have asked for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow haggis to be sold in America again.
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Haggis, predominantly made from minced sheep’s offal (heart, liver and lung), is Scotland’s savoury national dish and a Burns’ Night staple.
The item, which is prepared by mixing offal with chopped onions, rolled oats, suet, and spices, has been banned in America for 55 years.
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), any edible item that contains the lungs of an animal is ‘unfit for human consumption’.
Despite it being illegal to import haggis into the country, Simon Howie, a Scottish butcher, is campaigning with journalist Gordon Smart to bring haggis back for travelling Scottish football fans.
“Scotland football fans are widely recognised as the best in the world, and they are about to make the trip of a lifetime, but they’ll be doing it without access to their national dish,” campaigner Howie said.
“With such warmth and long-standing affinity between Americans and Scots we’re appealing to the USA to embrace this delicious delicacy and Make Haggis Legal Again.”
Smart said that if the petition is successful, then not only will football fanatics have flags, chants, and scarves, but they will be able to celebrate the sporting event with their favourite food.
“Simon Howie is fighting for every Scot and honorary Scot out there, so let’s get behind the campaign and make history on and off the pitch. Because after all, if there’s no haggis, there’s no party,” he added.
Haggis may not be the only thing that passionate football followers won’t be able to get their hands on during the duration of the World Cup.
Last week (23 May), Schlitz beer announced it would be shutting down production after 177 years in operation.
Zac Nadile, a spokesperson for parent business Pabst Brewing Company, which acquired the drink brand in 1999, said continued cost increase had forced their hand, with Schlitz Premium on the chopping block as a result.
“Any brand or packaging configuration that is put on hiatus is still a cherished part of our history and hopefully our future,” the representative told People Magazine.
“We continually look for opportunities to bring back beloved brands, and customer feedback is important in shaping those discussions.”
Don’t fret: there are many more drinks on offer across the country, including: the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher from Starbucks for those who are alcohol-free; McDonald’s line of ‘dirty’ sodas and refreshers; and the viral Raspberry Danish Latte, if you can find it in local coffee shops.