Lawsuit challenges US foie gras ban
Days after a foie gras ban came into force in California, a Los Angeles restaurant group and others have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the bill outlawing the controversial gastronomic delicacy.
California politicians agreed to ban the delicacy in 2004, but gave the western US state's only foie gras producer seven and a half years to comply before it came into effect on July 1 this year. Restaurants serving the gourmet item - made from force-feeding ducks or geese - can be fined more than $950. But the legal challenge claims the 2004 law is unclear in defining what constitutes force-feeding, said attorney Michael Tenenbaum, who filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles this week.
Calling themselves the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards (CHEFS), they have staged a series of foie gras-rich evenings to raise money for the cause.
