Fake Grass? Scientists create a “more ethical” version of French delicateness

Foie gras – the fatty liver of ducks and geese – is French delicateness, paying homage to its rich, buttery flavor. However, its production was banned in some countries, accompanied by the power of animals.

Now, a team of scientists say they have developed a more ethical alternative. It mimics the taste and texture of the dish, excludes controversy.

The results were published in the Journal of Liquid Physics on Tuesday.

“The food sciences of the Max Planck Polymer Research Institute in Germany,” said Thomas Birgis, professor of food science at the Max Planck Polymer Research Institute in Germany. “It’s good to stop these force feeding practices, at least reduce them.”

Vilgis and his colleagues at his own laboratory and the University of Southern Denmark had given up on one thing. There were no external additives.

They initially tried to cook collagen from bird skin into liver fat emulsions, but as a result, they lacked the signature silky texture.

Then there was a breakthrough. Treat fat with bird lipase: The enzyme body is used to naturally break down fat. This fine-tuning replicated an important part of the fo-agra formation process.

“At the end of the process, the fat can be recrystallized into large crystals where the fat forms aggregates like those found in the original foie gras,” Birgis said.

According to the author, the elegance of this method lies in its simplicity. Harvest and fat, treat the fat with lipase, mix and sterilize it.

Laser microscopy gave a thumbs up on the new product. This is a traditional foie gras with a close match in emulsion structure, size and shape of fat droplets. Even aroma passed the test.

To test the texture, the team turned to industrial compression equipment. This is a machine that gently pushes food samples to measure their hardness. The new foie gras were well lifted and offered a surprising amount of mouthfeel close to the original.

“We really could see the effects of these big fat particles, which we call in our paper, “pervasive clusters,” Virgis said.

“At the beginning of the “biting,” these large clusters are highly resistant and produce similar elasticity without being too rubbery after the addition of collagen or gelatin. ”

Vilgis has filed a patent for this process and is currently hoping to partner with companies to bring this Kinder Foie Gras to the market.

©2025 AFP