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New York City’s move to ban the production and sale of foie gras has boosted sales of the fatty goose and duck liver by 20-30%.
The New York Post reports how news of the ban on foie gras has had the immediate effect of boosting the sale of in the city.
“The day New Yorkers heard about the ban, every single table ordered foie gras. Even at the bar,” said Marco Moreira, the executive chef and owner of French restaurant Tocqueville near Union Square.
Concerns over animal welfare and the cruel practice of gavage or force-feeding ducks and geese in order to make the liver super fatty, has led to the banning of the ingredient in many countries around the world including Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Turkey, and the UK.
Foie gras is currently banned in California and in October 2019, the City Council of New York City voted to ban foie gras involving force feeding by 2022. Despite misgivings over the production of foie gras, it remains a firm favourite of top chefs, especially in New York.
Last year an analysis of ingredients trending in fine dining, showed that foie gras’ appearance on menus had a month on month gain of 19.31%. Foie gras remains a favourite of top chefs and for diners who eat at their restaurants.
Ariane Daguin, founder of D’Artagnan, a New Jersey-based national meat-and-game distribution company, told the New York Post that her New York City sales to top restaurants increased 30% since the ban was announced. Her current chefs — including Daniel Boulud of Daniel; Daniel Rose of Le Coucou; and David Chang of Momofuku — upped their orders.
The ban does not come into effect until 2022, in order to give time to producers and distributors to adjust, however, with sales up and more chefs continuing to put it on their menus it doesn’t seem like a city preparing to phase it out.
Illinois banned the sale of foie gras back in 2008 provoking a strong reaction from Chicago’s restaurant industry. In 2008, the ban was overturned. The New York ban will also face opposition, particularly from the farms, businesses and communities supported by the production of foie gras with petitioned filed in opposition and more to come.
