May 2, 2012

Foie gras, the French delicacy consisting of the enlarged liver of a duck or goose, will be banned in California, US as of July 1, in response to questionable feeding methods.

Foie gras is a duck or goose liver enlarged through force feeding, a practise that enlarges the liver to up to 10 times its original size.

In 2004, the state of California banned foie gras, going into effect July 1, 2012, on the grounds that the treatment and manner of feeding the ducks and geese was cruel. The ban, taken up in the California Health and Safety Code, prohibits the force feeding of birds with intent to enlarge their livers, as well as the sale of products made in this way.

The force feeding to produce foie gras is prohibited in most EU countries, with the exception of France, which along with Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain and Hungary still produces foie gras. There is currently no prohibition on importing or selling foie gras in the EU.

California chefs have put together a petition and submitted it to California Assembly Speaker John Perez, in the hope of repealing the ban.