In New York City, lawmakers recently passed a bill banning the sale of Foie Gras in restaurants and grocery stores. As voted on, the bill “would prohibit retail food establishments or food service establishments from storing, maintaining, selling, or offering to sell force-fed products or food containing a force-fed product.”  The bill calls for a fine of up to $2000 for each violation, but top chefs aren’t happy about it, and plan an appeal in the courts.

Foie gras is the fattened goose liver that is considered a delicacy in many high class restaurants. Unfortunately it can only be produced by force feeding geese. Animal welfare activists had campaigned for a ban on the grounds that the methods used to produce foie gras are cruel. The force-feeding begins when the ducks are fully grown, about 12 weeks after they’re born. A worker inserts a 6-inch (15-centimeter) plastic tube into the duck’s beak, squirting a soft mix of corn, soybeans and water to the top of the throat. They’re fed every eight hours for three weeks, and then slaughtered.

California banned the sale of foie gras in 2012. That law was challenged in federal court, but an appeals court eventually upheld it, and early in 2019 the Supreme Court declined to consider it further, thus making the decision final. This may pave the way for other states to follow suit. Chicago banned foie gras in 2006 but the ordinance was repealed two years later.

Several other countries have banned Foie Gras, and in India not only is the production banned, but also the importation. However, other countries, notably France, still produce it.

The treatment of the geese needed to produce foie gras is considered particularly harsh, and health groups note that it’s also very unhealthy for us. For anyone who enjoys the texture and flavor of foie gras, we encourage you to try this vegan foie gras recipe!