Foie gras to be banned in New York City due to animal cruelty

Animals rights groups have welcomed the move.

Foie gras is set to be banned in New York City over animal cruelty concerns. The luxury French delicacy, which is made by force feeding ducks and geese by sticking a tube down their throats, has been the source of much criticism for many years. The process, called gavage, is carried out to fatten the animal's liver. France is the highest consumer of foie gras. Bloomberg reports that New York City council members have voted in favour of a bill banning the sale of the luxury food in restaurants and shops. The bill, which is expected to pass today, was backed by the majority of the council. It will mean that any restaurant or supermarket caught selling foie gras could face up to one year in prison or a $1,000 fine. The move has been backed by animal rights groups and lamented by farmers and restaurant owners, who claim that the ban could lead to hundreds of job losses. This comes after a series of other animal rights-related bills were introduced to the city. These included a bill making it illegal for carriage horses to work in specific temperatures and a ban on the sale or possession of pigeons. Foie gras is currently illegal to produce in Australia, the UK, Italy, Germany, and other European countries. French law states that: "Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France."