Foie Gras Feeding Frenzy Grows As California Ban Nears
As a statewide ban on foie gras looms, some California chefs are loading their menus with the duck liver delicacy to sate customer demand before it's gone.
The July 1 ban on producing and selling the liver that some say is produced cruelly has created such a demand it's hard to find.
Tracy Lee, who has held 15 foie gras dinners in the San Jose area, says the price has doubled in recent weeks. She keeps the locations secret to avoid animal welfare protesters.
Animal advocates say it's ironic that diners are gorging themselves, when the cruel practice of force-feeding ducks to enlarge their livers is what has come under attack.
The legislature passed the ban in 2004, but gave the industry more than seven years to change its practices.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
