June 5, 2009
Japan lifts ban on foie gras, poultry from France
Japan has lifted a months-old ban on raw foie gras and poultry from France imposed after an outbreak of bird flu there early this year, the French Embassy in Tokyo said Thursday (June 4).
Tokyo had suspended imports of chicks and poultry meat in February after French officials informed Japan of an outbreak of H5N1 at a duck farm in western Vendee province.
But the suspension, which didn't affect canned foie gras, was lifted late last month, the embassy said.
Japan is a major importer of foie gras. It bought 404 tonnes of uncooked foie gras in 2008, according to the farm industry.
Foie gras, literally "fatty liver," is typically made by forcing metal pipes down the throats of geese and ducks to feed them so their livers expand.
Animal rights activists have increasingly lobbied to ban the delicacy.
Japan barred French poultry imports for several months in 2006 after an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 among wild ducks in France, causing alarm among French chefs in Tokyo.
