6:49pm UK, Sunday August 25, 2002

A food watchdog has sparked outrage by wanting to ban the traditional way of making the famous Scottish dish haggis.

Sp haggis

A Scottish delicacy

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says using sheep intestines risks spreading BSE.

The organisation said fears had grown because sheep had consumed the same feed as that which was responsible for giving cattle BSE.

Delicacy

The FSA has asked the European Commission to ban the use of sheep intestines, which are only used to make larger portions of the Scottish delicacy.

A spokesman for the Scottish National Party said: "This is quite simply completely mad.

"Haggis is known the world over as a symbol of Scotland and is a dish we are proud of.

"To ban the use of sheep intestines, which are still a common ingredient, would be ludicrous."

Intestines

Traditional haggis is usually made from sheep's intestines mixed with oatmeal, spices, salt and pepper, served with neeps and tatties and doused in whisky.

An FSA spokesman said the risk posed by eating the animal's intestines was purely "theoretical".

He said: "Experts have revealed that it is possible for sheep to be infected with BSE, but there is no proof that this has actually happened.

"Theoretically they could have BSE, and their intestines is the place where the BSE would develop, for this reason we would advise people not to eat haggis which includes the intestines."