Eight years ago former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill No. 1520 into law, which will prohibit the sale and production of foie gras in California.
On Sunday, July 1, 2012 that ban from 2004 will finally go into effect.
The legislation states:
“The bill would prohibit a person from force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size, and would prohibit a person from hiring another person to do so. The bill would also prohibit a product from being sold in the state if it is the result of force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size. The bill would authorize an officer to issue a citation for a violation of those provisions in an amount up to $1,000 per violation per day.”
Sellers and Consumers of the fatty duck and goose liver are already looking for loopholes in that law.
Ludo Lefebvre, the French chef of popular pop-up restaurant LudoBites in Los Angeles, will continue to serve foie gras after the July 1 deadline. In order to skirt around the legislation, Lefebvre says he will not sell the prized delicacy, but instead offer it free of charge on the chef’s menu.
