FSA News Item, 30 August 2002
There have been a number of reports claiming that the Food Standards Agency is proposing a ban on haggis. These reports are incorrect.
The Agency has proposed to the European Commission a ban on the use of sheep intestines as a precautionary measures against the theoretical risk of BSE in sheep. Haggis does not use sheep intestines. This has been verified by the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders.
Sheep have been shown to contract BSE from infected feed in laboratory conditions but no sheep have been found to be positive for BSE naturally. Sheep intestines, on present evidence, would constitute a significant risk if BSE were to be found in the national flock. That is why we believe they should be removed from the food chain.