Massive blow to Scotland's exports…

BARRED IRN-BRU

Apr 29 2004 - US bans Scots fizzy favourite

By Maggie Barry

AMERICAN officials have sparked fury by banning Irn-Bru.

They turned back Scotland's other national drink because they don't know its secret recipe.

Barr's Irn-Bru has been a favourite with Scots expats in America for years. Millions of cans and bottles of the stuff are sold there every year. But now US food inspectors have told a Los Angeles importer they can't let the drink into the country.

They ordered him to return his consignment to the UK or pay for the drinks to be destroyed.

The man who did not want to be named for fear of official reprisals said: 'My business is importing food and drink and I've got to deal with these people.'

He said food inspectors at Long Beach docks in California ordered a previous consignment of Irn-Bruto be tested in a lab to make sure it met US standards.

He added: 'About two months later and only a weeks before the sell-by date they said the drinks were OK.'

Glasgow-based AG Barr export Irn-Bru as far afield as Australia.

But the company admitted they have had problems with the US inspectors in the past.They got so fed up they no longer try to export Irn-Bru there. A Food and Drugs Administration spokeswoman defended their action. She said the drink was banned because of two food dyes.

She said a red colourant, acceptable in Europe, was banned in the US, while a yellow one was subject to tests.

(Daily Record)