In defence of the haggis
Burns Night is upon us, and if you’re planning on celebrating, I hope you enjoy yourself, whether that’s at a Burns supper or simply tucking into some haggis, neeps, and tatties at home. I recently found myself in a conversation discussing all things haggis and Burns Night. Having shared my plans to enjoy some haggis at home, the other person asked with a look of disgust, "You do know what’s in haggis?" What ensued was a discussion around food, and me fighting the corner of the honest haggis. I felt I really got them when I asked if they had ever eaten one of those American hot dogs from a can, because, in my opinion, that's the question they should be asking, what's in one of those? There are some foods that, in my view, shouldn't exist, and the mysterious, eternally in-date hot dog is one of them.
This is a fairly common argument about haggis, one I’m sure you’ve heard too—that what goes into making it is so awful you shouldn’t eat it. However, for those who hold this view, it’s very telling. Do they really know what’s in the food they’re eating, and aware of the foods that are actually hiding something scarier?
It seems that on the whole, society has lost its way a little when it comes to food. This isn’t all about haggis, but I do think the haggis in this instance serves as a good example.
If you look at the ingredient list of the two most popular supermarket haggises in Scotland (though your local butcher’s version will likely be of higher quality), you’ll see a handful of familiar ingredients that you could easily buy yourself: oats, onion, salt, pepper, stock, spices, and a mix of sheep or beef lungs and heart. No emulsifiers, no unpronounceable chemicals, or artificial colourings. Both are produced in Scotland and, as far as I can tell, sourced from UK suppliers. Furthermore, there are sustainable ways of eating meat, and one of them is eating all parts of the animal. Since haggis utilises less popular cuts of meat, it helps to reduce waste.
Unfortunately, haggis has suffered from poor PR. It’s a real shame because not only is it delicious, but it’s also a traditional food that isn’t ultra-processed. Now, I do admit it’s processed—anything that undergoes preparation or cooking is processed. Even a salad is processed in that sense. I’m not suggesting that haggis is unbelievably healthy; it’s relatively high in fat, but I don’t have any qualifications to comment on the health properties of food. However, it’s a straightforward, simple food that can easily be part of a balanced diet.
Meanwhile, supermarkets are filled with ultra-processed foods containing all sorts of harmful ingredients that we shouldn’t be consuming on a regular basis. Perhaps the worst part is that we often can’t even tell the difference. On some level, it seems the truth about our food has become obscured in the name of profit.
It’s estimated that around 60% of the average UK diet consists of ultra-processed foods, which is a worrying statistic. This rise has happened alongside the industrialisation of food production and the increase in food marketing.
The term ‘ultra-processed food’ is relatively new, having only been defined in a 2016 research paper. In simple terms, it refers to food products containing ingredients you’d never find in a typical home kitchen and would struggle to buy on the high street. These foods are linked to over-eating, increased rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and more. As research into this area continues, we’re likely to uncover further connections.
The industrialisation of our food supply means mass-produced products, like those questionable hot dogs, are made for one thing and one thing only: to make money. These foods aren’t marketed to us because they’re healthy or nutritious or because the companies care about our well-being. It’s all about profit.
Take a chocolate cake for example, you make it from scratch and you use everyday ingredients. You know exactly what’s gone into it, you’ve put effort, care and attention into the whole process. In contrast, the chocolate cake bought in the supermarket is mostly made with the same ingredients, except now it’s got a few more chemicals you’ve never heard of, just so the cake stays in date through-out the whole logistical process. But not only that, some of those chemicals are there to make it more spongy, or chocolatey, just to ensure you keep on reaching for another slice, until inevitably you’ve eaten it all and are thinking about going back to the shops for another. Perhaps, I’m talking from personal experience.
Either way, all those extra ingredients are there to ensure the profit margins get fatter.
Buying and eating a supermarket cake in moderation isn't a problem, however the problem arises when we don't know what is going into our food, and can't make informed choices.
The rise of marketing within the food industry has only muddied the public’s understanding of what’s truly healthy. Products are often marketed as "good for you"—high in fibre, even though they’re packed with sugar. There are many example of these, some of them industry led, others purely from a food manufacturer. The one that sticks out in from my childhood was the infamous Sunny D drink. The Proctor and Gamble product was always muddled in controversy and was eventually pulled from shelves, but not before they claimed it had less sugar than spinach, even though one serving had 14g of sugar. These misleading claims were eventually debunked, but the legacy of such misleading marketing remains.
Sunny D has long gone but we’ve still got an avalanche of food products claiming to be healthier than they are. With the 'gym-going, hyper-busy, always on the move' customer a big demographic we have all sorts of ultra-processed foods claiming to be high in protein and part of a healthy diet. They feed into another cultural shift, convenience.
Convenience has seen the prevalence of the home-cooked meal decline. The rise of convenience food is mostly being driven by the younger generations, but has been a rising trend for several decades. There are many reasons for this. We are on the whole leading busier lives and have less time, cooking becomes less of a priority. The change from the ‘traditional’ family dynamic which saw one partner stay at home and predominantly do the domestic chores is less common. The decline of home cooked food has allowed for a surge of ultra-processed foods to start to take their place. Convenience food is not all bad, they have their place, but they shouldn't be a staple in any diet.
As the younger generations continue to reach for convenience foods we need to install a knowledge of food and cooking. We cannot allow products to flood the market without giving people the knowledge to know what a healthy and balanced diet looks like. The joy and importance of cooking should be installed in school, even just learning the basics could really benefit children as they grow into adults. Although cooking does hold a place in the current curriculum it seems that with declining budgets their importance has lessened. However, we shouldn’t be letting these chemicals and additives in our food dominate, and should be pushing against the continued reliance on ingredients that often feature solely in ultra-processed foods.