Judge strikes down California's ban on foie gras

Judge strikes down California's ban on foie gras
(Image credit: Francois Durand/Getty Images)

A California judge on Wednesday struck down the state's ban on foie gras, saying the restriction illegally trampled on the federal government's regulatory authority. The ruling will allow California restaurants to serve the delicacy, made with fatty liver from force-fed ducks and geese, for the first time in two years. "It goes on the menu tonight," said Ken Frank, chef and owner of La Toque in Napa. Lawmakers approved the ban in 2004 on the grounds that the process was inhumane, but the measure didn't take effect until eight years later.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.