Authentic haggis remains banned in the United States because it contains sheep lungs, which US regulators prohibited after a 1969 USDA study and a 1971 federal rule. Scottish butchers, retailers and campaigners are using the World Cup spotlight to press for a review, arguing inspected lungs are eaten safely in other countries. The USDA's FSIS says there is insufficient modern evidence to overturn the ban, so imports of traditional haggis are unlikely for now.
Why Scots Can't Buy Authentic Haggis in the US During the World Cup — And the Campaign to Change It
Haggis has been banned from being sold in America due to regulations over lungs being eaten [Getty Images]
As thousands of Scottish supporters travel to the United States for the World Cup, one staple of Scotland's cuisine will largely be missing from tables: authentic haggis. The traditional product remains banned in the US because it contains sheep lungs, an ingredient prohibited in American food law since a USDA study in 1969 prompted a federal rule in 1971.
Why Haggis Is Banned In The US
On 17 June 1971 a section of the Code of Federal Regulations declared: "Livestock lungs shall not be saved for use as human food." That rule followed a December 1969 USDA inspection of "several hundred random samples" of beef lungs, which reported that 93.5% displayed "various abnormal conditions," including contamination with fluids from other body parts.
The USDA argued it would be impractical to examine all portions of every lung used for food, and therefore adopted a blanket ban classifying lungs as unfit for human consumption. That 1969 study remains the principal justification cited by US authorities today.
How Producers and Consumers Respond
Scottish butchers, retailers and expatriates say the ban is outdated. Perthshire butcher Simon Howie told BBC Scotland News the restriction is "an irritation" and a strange quirk that has never been fully challenged because haggis is a niche product. He and others see the World Cup — when thousands of Scots will be in the US — as an opportunity to press for change.
Anne Robinson of Scottish Gourmet USA, who has sold Scottish goods across the US since 2005, explained that lungs contribute to haggis's characteristic crumbly texture. Her husband, chef Andrew Hamilton, and a French pâté maker developed a lung-free recipe using beef liver that approximates the texture and flavour, but many purists insist the substitutes do not match authentic haggis.
Donald Trump announced he was removing restrictions on whisky earlier this year [PA Media]
Attempts To Lift The Ban
Producers have tried both diplomacy and publicity. MacSween's and other firms offer lung-free versions that sell in markets such as Canada, while small campaigns — including a tongue-in-cheek "No Haggis No Party" drive — aim to raise public awareness.
In 2023 petitioners asked the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to reconsider the rule. In documents released recently FSIS said that, although the petition included support from scientists and pointed out the lack of lung-related outbreaks in countries that allow lungs in food, the agency did not find the evidence sufficient to declare lungs safe. FSIS noted the original 1969 study has not been directly refuted and that newer, targeted research demonstrating lung safety is lacking. The agency denied the petition without prejudice, concluding that the potential risks outweigh the benefits given the current evidence.
Alternatives, Trade Moves And Outlook
Alternatives typically replace lungs with more liver or heart. Retailers and chefs say the substitutes are acceptable for many customers but that true authenticity is lost. Recent trade diplomacy around Scottish whisky shows how targeted negotiations can change market access, prompting some producers to hope a similar approach might eventually reopen the US market to authentic haggis.
For now, authentic haggis made with sheep lungs is unlikely to appear on US shelves. Scots in the US and visitors at the World Cup will continue to rely on lung-free commercial versions or homemade adaptations.
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