it through a customs broker and we've never had an issue until now," said Mr Badger.

No health risk

Image copyright PA Image caption Irn-Bru is the most popular soft drink in Scotland

Irn-Bru contains the food colouring Ponceau 4R. It is not permitted in foods for sale in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said in a statement to the BBC.

The colouring has been linked to hyperactivity.

In addition, the agency told the BBC that "drinks and a yeast-based spread" found in the Brit Foods shipment and subsequently on the shelves in the shops were not approved for sale in Canada.

In a separate statement, the agency told the BBC that Irn-Bru and Marmite were not "banned" from sale in Canada, but that particular formulations intended for sale in Britain thatat Brit Foods shops, while in violation of Canada's food safety laws, were not a health risk and were not removed from the store shelves.

"These are technical violations of the regulations," the agency told the BBC in a statement. "There is no food safety risk associated with these products."

'Insanity'

Mr Badger said he first ran into trouble in October when his Christmas stock was seized as it was imported from Britain.

He is worried he will no longer be able to import the popular items.

"The concern now is, with the next shipment, if it gets held there may be new issues with new products, so it somewhat paralyses our ability to bring new product in," he said, adding the delays had already cost him thousands of dollars.

But he said the