Alternatives to foie gras are under development based on the banning of the traditional fatty liver delicacy derived from waterfowl force fed by gavage. Numerous nations including the U.K., Italy and Norway have enacted or are in the process of passing legislation to ban production of the product using what is generally regarded as inhumane procedures.
A plant-based alternative has been developed in Belgium marketed under the FAUX GRAS® brand. Chef Alexis Gauthier is creating a vegan duck liver terrine recipe based on a fungal culture as an alternative to the traditional product.
As yet, there have been no attempts to create a laboratory culture of liver, and it is doubtful whether it will be possible to reproduce foie gras a since the product represents a pathological state induced by force feeding.