“The Epitome of Culinary Civilization”

The French outrage over foie gras boils down to this: getting over-emotional in order to eliminate economic competition wherever possible.

Patería de Sousa was awarded the Coup de Coeur by the Paris International Food Salon for innovation.

Yet it is precisely its innovative techniques that have set French foie gras makers in a flutter. They claim that the Spanish version of the goose liver extract is not foie gras at all and have demanded the prize is withdrawn.

The animals are not force-fed.

Animal rights activists criticise the practice of force-feeding a duck or a goose for four weeks before they are slaughtered, claiming that it is cruel. Producers say that they fatten the birds’ livers to add flavour to the foie gras.

Marie-Pierre Pée, secretary-general of the French Professional Committee of Foie Gras Producers, condemned the Sousa version of the luxury paste: “This cannot be called foie gras because it is strictly defined as a product from an animal which has been fattened,” he said.

Eduardo Sousa, president of the Spanish company, which is based in Badajoz, was unabashed by the French criticism: “It’s normal that they have asked for their prize back because they are scared.

“We have won a prize in Paris where the jury has given (the French) a clip round the ears because we have shown that you can make a good foie gras without mistreating the animals.”

Needless to say, it is not exported to France.The Fuse is Lit (No Pasaran!)