Animal-friendly foie gras: one bite at a time

Foie gras has faced criticism for years due to its production method. The product is made from the liver of force-fed geese or ducks—livers that are up to four times the normal size. Using a long tube inserted down their throats, the animals are literally pumped full of food three times a day. But according to scientists, there’s a more humane alternative, according to the New Scientist.

By adding an enzyme called lipase to natural goose fat, the fat is broken down into smaller components. This changes the structure and creates a creamy texture and a flavor remarkably similar to traditional foie gras.

Researchers compared this so-called "Faux Foie Gras" to the traditional version and found little to no difference—even the smell was nearly identical. A patent has already been filed for this promising invention. Despite the success, there’s still room for improvement. Experiments are underway with cultured meat-based variants, which eliminate the need for natural goose fat altogether. Fully vegan versions are also in development.

McGras: Foie Gras at McDonald’s
According to The In Vitro Meat Cookbook by Next Nature, we may someday see lab-grown foie gras served from large sauce dispensers right next to the ketchup and mayonnaise. Once an exclusive delicacy, foie gras could become widely available thanks to these innovations. Not only does this new method allow for more ethical production, but it also makes foie gras cheaper and easier to produce. This could lead to it appearing everywhere—from McDonald’s to supermarket shelves—no longer limited to fine-dining restaurants.

Thanks to cell manipulation, we’re now able to cultivate meat that precisely matches our preferences in structure, texture, and flavor. This means we can recreate specific types of meat, such as foie gras, with stunning accuracy. But the technology also opens the door to creating entirely new types of meat—or even bringing back extinct ones. It might just be a matter of time before a medium-rare dodo steak lands on your plate.