One of Scotland's leading butchers has launched a campaign urging the United States to legalise haggis, as Scottish football fans prepare to travel across the Atlantic for the World Cup. Federal food regulations concerning offal consumption have effectively banned haggis in the US since 1971, preventing Scottish producers from exporting the traditional dish.
Petition and Campaign
Simon Howie Butchers, based in Perthshire, is launching a petition to "make haggis legal again." The campaign is fronted by Scottish broadcaster and journalist Gordon Smart. Flags bearing the slogan "no haggis, no party" are being distributed to football fans heading to the US.
Simon Howie, owner of the butchery, stated: "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'."
Gordon 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."
Background of the Ban
The traditional Scottish dish has been prohibited in the US since 1971 due to its inclusion of sheep lungs, which are not permitted under federal food regulations. The US embassy in London has been approached for comment.
