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The deep-fried Mars bar, an infamous Scottish 'delicacy', has incurred the wrath of the chocolate bar's manufacturers.
The chip shop owner who first served it up 20 years ago has been warned against claiming special status for the fatty treat, under the EU's Protected Food Name Scheme.
Mars' lawyers wrote to the owners of the Carron Fish Bar in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, saying they wouldn't support such an application because the deep-fried bar is against its commitment to healthy living.
The confectionery giant also wants a disclaimer on the chip shop's menus pointing out that deep-frying the Mars bar isn't endorsed by its makers.
It had been reported that the chip shop was about to apply for protected geographical status.
This protection is open to products which are produced or processed or prepared in a specific geographical area and have a reputation, features or certain qualities attributable to that area.
It means the product is given legal protection against imitation throughout the EU. It already applies to foods such as the Cornish pasty and Jersey Royal potatoes.
A spokesperson for Mars 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."
The Mars bar fried in batter is, perhaps, the Scottish dish most symbolic of a relatively poor national diet.
It consists of a frozen Mars bar fried in the 'wrap-around' batter normally used to fry fish, sausages and black pudding.
The deep-frying craze doesn't stop with the Mars bar, however. Recently a bar in Edinburgh started serving up what it called Braveheart Butter Bombs, a pudding consisting of butter balls deep-fried in Irn Bru batter.
At Easter, one fish bar in the Scottish Borders sells an "Easter Special" - a deep-fried Cadbury's creme egg.
Lorraine Watson, owner of the chip shop, told Sky News: "Mars are just trying to protect their brand, which is fair enough. We've now put up the disclaimer, as requested, on the shop menu.
"We sell the deep-fried Mars bar as a quirky thing, but it is popular. In summer, we typically sell between 100-150 per week. People want to try it because they've heard so much about it.
"It's mostly tourists who are interested - I'd say 80% of those buying the deep-fried Mars bar are tourists and the rest are local."
