Credit: Getty ImagesHAGGIS is renowned for being the national dish of Scotland, a savoury pudding created from a mixture of ingredients have led to it
Scotland are heading to their first World Cup since 1998 this summer but, as it stands, they – although a campaign is trying to change that.
Why is haggis illegal in the US?
Haggis has been illegal in the US since 1971, when the nation was under the Presidency of Richard Nixon.
This is because the primary ingredient in haggis is offal – including the hearts, livers and lungs from a sheep – which is mixed with oats, onions and various spices, and boiled inside a sheep’s stomach lining.
In 1971, the US banned all livestock lungs from human consumption, over concerns over fluid entering the lungs during the slaughtering process.
A lung-free version of haggis is manufactured in the US to ensure that it conforms to this law – but critics argue that it is a pale imitation of the traditional Scottish original.
Could the US haggis ban be lifted for the World Cup?
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a number of Scotland fans have attempted to change the law on haggis in order to be able to take some with them to the US.
Scottish butcher Simon Howie created a campaign film on the issue, fronted by the broadcaster and journalist Gordon Smart.
The film includes Scotland fans and Howie himself, all shining a spotlight on the haggis ban.
Howie said: “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.
“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 added: “For Scotland fans, summer 2026 is going to be a trip we’ll never forget. We’ll have the flags, the songs and the scarves and if this petition has anything to do with it, we’ll have the haggis too.
“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.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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