What in France is a delicatessen, in the United States is, as of today, a banned product. New York has passed a law that prohibits the sale of foie in stores and restaurants. The measure will take effect in 2020, so there is a transition period for the sector to adapt. Foie cannot be offered either in stores or in restaurants and those who do will be sanctioned with a fine of between 500 and 2,000 dollars (between 448 and 1,800 euros).

The law has been passed with 42 votes in favor and six against. The city thus joins California, which had already adopted a similar measure at the beginning of the year. In New York, which presented the bill in January, it is estimated that the ban will affect about a thousand restaurants, although there are some, the most select, which include it as a star dish in their menus and these are the most They will be affected by having to do without it.

Following this ban are measures on animal welfare. Animalists believe that obtaining this product hides a lot of cruelty. The foie is made with the hypertrophied liver of ducks, geese and geese, and this involves necessarily feeding the animal. "It is a historic day for animal rights," said Matthew Dominguez, advisor to the Voters for Animal Right association.

Faced with the victory that the defenders of the animals are aiming, the small producers criticize that this measure will be their ruin and say that it is exaggerated and that the process of bait of the animal is not as horrible as it is painted. France, cradle of foie, the American market is complicated. This prohibition occurs after the entry into force of the US tariffs on the export of several of its products (cheeses, wines ...). France accounts for 75% of the world's foie production.

In January, the US Supreme Court has already ratified the California Law prohibiting the commercialization of foie gras and other products derived from forced fattening of farm birds. Small producers had resorted to this law and received support from France, which called the law "an assault on the gastronomic tradition of France."

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