Why time is fast running out for the cheap 'uns o' the pudding race

It is understood that no objections have been received at Holyrood against the move for the Hebridean pudding to join the Arbroath smokie, champagne, Roquefort cheese and Parma ham in being granted special protection by the European Commission.

And the government is now set to draw up a formal bid for the pudding to be granted protected designation of origin status. Protected product status, if granted by the commission, will prevent "imposter puddings" - labelled as Stornoway-style black puddings - from being made outside the Western Isles.

Richard Lochhead, the rural affairs secretary, is backing the bid by the four butchers in Stornoway that produce the distinctive delicacy to protect what he has described as their "premier product".

Claire Macleod, the secretary of the Stornoway Black Pudding Producers Association, said yesterday that all the signs pointed to success in the bid to safeguard the delicacy, which is still produced according to a recipe devised by crofters more than three centuries ago.

Ms Macleod, whose family firm is one of the leading producers of the pudding, said: "We are very encouraged by the support we have had, not only from the Scottish Government and our local politicians, but from all over the world. We have more than 4,000 members now on our Facebook page. The response has been tremendous."

Ms Macleod added: "Subject to there being no objection - and it is my belief that there haven't been any objections lodged - the Scottish Government will now formally submit the application to Defra. They will hold it open for 14 days for any appeals and subject to that they will then submit the application to the European Union."

It was, she said, vital that the special heritage of Stornoway black pudding was protected. Said Ms Macleod: "There are two main drivers. One obviously is commercial. Our product has been produced here in the Hebrides for hundreds of years on the crofts and the four butchers have been trading the product since the 1930s.

"We export quite a lot of our product now off-island and the emergence of Stornoway style black pudding on the market place has been a threat to our product. It's an imitation product. It is nice that they want to use our name but it's an inferior product and damaging to our brand."

She added: "It's a product that's intrinsically linked back to the area and we have a food industry that's growing and a tourist industry that's growing. And we want to protect that and protect jobs in the local economy."

Attaining European Protected Geographic Indicator status will, the association argues, protect the consumer from being misled about the provenance and quality of Stornoway black pudding whilst safeguarding the island's food heritage. It will provide customers with the assurance that what they are buying is the genuine article, made in our region to the consistently high levels of quality and using the traditional crofting recipe.

Western Isles Council has endorsed the bid, stressing it would "add to the portfolio of other brands associated with the Outer Hebrides such as Harris Tweed".

Mr Lochhead said: "Scotland is home to some of the most popular protected foods in Europe - including Scotch beef and Scottish farmed salmon.

"It is excellent news that the Stornoway Black Pudding Association has grasped the opportunity to pursue protecting their premier product and I would encourage more of our Scottish companies to do the same."

He added: "Consumer interest in local food has never been greater and Scotland has massive potential to take advantage. There is no substitute for our iconic Scottish produce."