Mars seeks deep-fried disclaimer

Chocolate manufacturer Mars is seeking a disclaimer to distance itself from the famous deep-fried Mars bar.

The dish is said to have originated 20 years ago at The Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, which advertises itself as the "birthplace of the world famous deep-fried Mars bar".

But Mars say they are seeking a menu disclaimer to make clear they do not endorse or authorise the fatty snack, which is covered in chip-shop batter and cooked in a deep fat fryer.

The company said it goes against its commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and a letter has been sent to the company's owners.

Each serving of the chip-shop treat is said to be high in calories and saturated fat. It has become a well-known Scottish stereotype and is often referred to as one of the country's other national dishes, after haggis.

Plans to bid for EU protected geographical status, similar to that of the Arbroath Smokie, have been dropped.

A Mars spokeswoman said: "We are really flattered that customers of Carron Fish Bar like our product so much that it has now become a flagship product for the store. No application for a protected geographical indication has been filed to date.

"Should an application be filed, unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to support it, as deep-frying one of our products would go against our commitment to promoting healthy, active lifestyles."

Lorraine Watson, who runs the The Carron Fish Bar with her husband Charlie, told The Scotsman newspaper that the shop sold between 100 and 150 deep-fried Mars bars a week, 70% of which were to visitors to the town.

She said: "We are quite happy to put a disclaimer on the main menu for the shop because I don't want any reason for them to come back and try some sort of court action against me."