A European ban on Saskatoon berries – a Prairie favourite in jams, syrups and salad dressings – has started to lift.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Mark Wartman says Germany may accept the berry, and that could clear the way for other European nations to follow suit.

The fledgling industry was dealt a severe blow in May, after Britain's Food Standards Agency ruled that the berries were a "novel" food and had to be reviewed under rules that apply to food that was rare in Europe before 1997.

The decision jeopardized the export of Saskatoon berry products to the entire European Union.

But Wartman says the German decision changes all that.

"They're saying it fits with their definition of regular food and so therefore the European market will be open to importing Saskatoon berries," he said.

Wartman says he expects the German decision to sway Britain's stand.

The Saskatoon berry is the small purple fruit of a shrub found in North America, particularly in the northwest of Canada, and has been grown commercially since the late 1960s.

Widely used for centuries by aboriginals, the berries are used in Canada for things such as jam, pie and cider. Canadian officials insist they are safe to eat.

The fruit is exported to the United States and Japan but has no history of consumption in Europe.