Scientists Crack the Code to Guilt-Free Foie Gras

Foie gras has long been considered the delicacy of delicacies. However, it has also become a polarizing food — so much so that California banned its production and sale in 2014. New York City also attempted to ban its sale; however, that decision was overturned in 2024 after the New York Supreme Court stated it violated the state’s agriculture laws. Still, this highlighted the growing concern for the welfare of the animals we ultimately consume for food. Now, scientists claim they have found a way to allow people to enjoy foie gras without having to force-feed an animal in the process. 

As a quick reminder, foie gras has traditionally been made by force-feeding ducks or geese to ensure they consume enough food to swell their livers up to 10 times their typical size. The animals are then processed, and their livers are used for this French delicacy.

However, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, claim to have replicated the process without force-feeding any animals.

“I’m a big fan of foie gras,” shared Thomas Vilgis, a researcher at the institute, with New Scientist. “I was just fascinated by this mouthfeel — it was so different from other pâtés — and so I asked myself, what is it?”

Vilgis explored that question by attempting to reverse engineer the mouthfeel of foie gras by combining fat and liver. Initially, he had limited success, first testing the addition of animal bones, followed by collagen, which also fell short. However, as he and his colleagues detailed in their recent research published in the journal Physics of Fluid, their final attempt proved to be the winner. 

According to their research, the reason foie gras tastes the way it does is due to the specific distribution of fat, which results from the release of the enzyme Candida rugosa type VII from the pancreas. They found that it is possible to recreate the same flavors and textures without the need to force-feed the animal, simply by treating the fat with the enzyme after processing the goose or duck.

“The lipase is a molecular scissor,” Vilgis told New Scientist, explaining that it rearranges fat cells into crystalline forms, which in turn gives it a distinct flavor and texture.

After treating the fat with the enzyme, the team blended it with the liver to recreate their cruelty-free foie gras. While the researchers detailed the various scientific methods they used to demonstrate that their creation closely resembled the authentic product — including powerful microscopy — in their research paper, Vilgis asserted that the ultimate test was how it smelled and tasted, just like what one would find in a fine dining restaurant. “Of course, it’s not a 100% agreement, but we are very close,” Vilgis told The New York Times.

Now, all that’s left is for the team to figure out a way to mass-produce the product to go to market. 

However, it’s critical to note that this is not a vegan alternative, as it still requires the slaughter of an animal for production. Nonetheless, there are ways to enjoy foie gras that do not involve animal intervention, such as Vow’s Forged Gras. This cultured product, introduced by the Australian company in 2024, is “crafted without any animal intervention,” meaning it is grown in a lab rather than on a farm or in a factory. It is currently available in restaurants in Singapore, and hopefully, it will soon be accessible in more places around the globe.