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Foie Gras Ban in California is Overturned

By Cynthia Dea
January 7, 2015
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Photo:Clement Lo/Flickr/Creative Commons License

U.S. District Court Judge Stephen V. Wilson struck down the 2012 California ban on the sales of foie gras today.

The plantiffs, Canadian foie gras producers Association des Eleveurs de Canards et d'Oies du Quebec, New York producer Hudson Valley Foie Gras, and Hot's Restaurant Group in California claimed that the ban on the sales of the fatty liver of force-fed goose "runs afoul of federal law and the Constitution."

Judge Wilson ruled in favor of the producers and restaurateurs, citing that the California Health and Safety Code Section 25982 was unconstitutional and interfered with an existing federal Poultry Inspections Act, which regulates the sale of poultry.

Restaurateur Stephane Bombet, a partner at Terrine and Faith & Flower restaurants in Los Angeles, is overjoyed about the news. "We're happy that foie gras is finally legal and back on the menus. [Terrine is] a French brasserie and it's a key component on the menu."

Bombet and Terrine chef Kris Morningstar have been following the news very closely. As soon as the judge overruled the ban, they released a foie gras dinner menu online for Monday night at Terrine.

Until then? "We're trying to put our hands on it [for today] but it's a challenge right now," says Bombet. "Everyone is trying to put their hands on it. It's a key ingredient in French cuisine and has a big legacy in French cooking."

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