Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

FOIE GRAS

‘An assault on French gastronomic tradition’: US Supreme court upholds foie gras ban

France called California's law "an assault on French (gastronomic and cultural) tradition" but that didn't deter the US Supreme Court from upholding the ban.

Published: 8 January 2019 08:55 CET

'An assault on French gastronomic tradition': US Supreme court upholds foie gras ban

Photo: AFP

The US Supreme Court upheld California's foie gras ban on Monday, ending a long legal battle between animal rights activists and defenders of the delicacy.

The highest US court rejected an appeal filed by foie gras producers against a law prohibiting the sale of products obtained from force-feeding geese or duck to enlarge their liver.

The law, passed in 2004 by California in the name of animal rights, carries a fine of $1,000.

It took effect in 2012, was suspended by the courts in 2015 — but then upheld on appeal in 2017.

Producers of foie gras from Canada and New York, along with a California restaurateur, then appealed to the Supreme Court in defense of this delicacy they called “perhaps the most maligned (and misunderstood) food in the world.”

French animal rights' group hope THIS shocking video puts you off foie gras forever

They argued that a state could not ban a federally authorized product.

They had support from France, which called California's law “an assault on French (gastronomic and cultural) tradition.”

The high court threw out the appeal with no explanation.

As such, California's law remains in effect.

“This victory for animals follows tireless efforts from animal rights activists to oppose the archaic foie gras industry,” the animal rights group PETA said.

“Now that California can enforce this ban, PETA urges diners to blow the whistle on any restaurant that's caught serving this illegal and hideously produced substance,” PETA president Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Ban 'barbaric' French foie gras, Danish politicians urge EU

File photo: Benoit Tessier / Reuters / Ritzau Scanpix

The party, a parliamentary ally of the governing Social Democrats, wants foie gras banned in the European Union and has called its production “barbaric”.

“It is one of the most barbaric ways food can be produced. These birds are treated very badly, and we don’t think it’s okay,” SF spokesperson on food Carl Valentin said.

“Danes have actually already morally rejected this to a large extent. Consumption is falling fast [in Denmark, ed.] and production is already illegal in Denmark. That’s why we’re focusing on this issue,” Valentin continued.

Discussion of the matter by politicians follows a decision by management at Torvehallerne, an upscale food market in Copenhagen, to recommend its concession holders not to sell the French dish, a paté made from the livers of geese or ducks.

Torvehallerne made the decision after customers posted complaints on its Facebook page over the sale of foie gras at Ma Poule, a stand at the market which sells French specialities.

Although production of the delicacy is banned in Denmark, importing it is not, as such a ban is prevented by European Single Market laws.

Foie gras production involves overfeeding geese and duck for the last two weeks before they are slaughtered. This causes them to develop fatty liver disease, with the organ expanding to six to ten times its normal size, according to Danish animal welfare charity Dyrenes Beskyttelse.

90 percent of foie gras now comes from geese, rather than duck, which was previously the preferred bird, according to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA). Although the majority of production is in France, the foodstuff is also made in Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain and Hungary.

EU rules do forbid foie gras from being produced in places where it has not previously been made, according to the DVFA website.

Valentin said he wanted the union to outlaw what he termed a “dish for the upper classes”.

“The reason I mention the upper class is that this is very much a dish for the upper classes. I think it’s sad that there’s so little focus on animal welfare and more thought goes to pleasing taste buds than protecting animals,” the SF spokesperson said.

READ ALSO: Why Danish milk cartons now carry three helpful words

Url copied to clipboard!