NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the New York City Council vote to ban sales of foie gras (all times local):
4:10 p.m.
The New York City Council has voted to ban the sale of foie gras — the fattened liver of a duck — served in fine restaurants and gourmet groceries across the city.
Council members passed the bill on Wednesday. They say producing the traditional French delicacy involves animal cruelty by force-feeding a bird through a tube pushed down its throat. Selling foie gras in New York will be illegal starting in 2022.
A ban could mean trouble for two farms outside the city that are premier U.S. producers of foie gras, with New York as their prime market — Hudson Valley Foie Gras and nearby La Belle Farm. Together, they raise about 350,000 birds for foie gras a year. The owners say they may have to close, with hundreds of mostly immigrant workers losing their jobs.
In the end, the measure imposes a fine of up to $2,000, instead of the previously considered $1,000. A penalty of up to one year behind bars has been eliminated.
___
1:15 a.m.
The sale of foie gras (fwah-GRAH') in New York City is about to become a faux pas (foh-PAH').
City council members on Wednesday are expected to pass a bill that bans the sale of fattened liver of a duck at restaurants, grocery stores or shops.
A majority of council members have signed on to the bill, which also has the support of animal welfare advocates and other critics who say producing it involved force-feeding a bird by sticking a tube down its throat.
But vendors say it could mean trouble for farms outside the city that are premier U.S. producers of the French delicacy.
The bill would impose a $1,000 fine and up to one year behind bars on any restaurateur or grocery store owner who sells foie gras.
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.