It is a project that has been in the works for a long time, in a major testing phase for two years and which is starting to reach its goal. That of Aline Meyer, at the head of the Meyer farm in Gundershoffen (Bas-Rhin), who works at an alternative to foie gras which she named the golden liver. A liver from geese which do not go through the two weeks of intensive force-feeding before their slaughter.
“We make them want to eat”
On his farm, surrounded by a forest and an orchard, 150 geese are intended for the production of golden liver. The objective “we make them want to eat”explains Aline Meyer. Any foie gras producer will tell you: geese – even farmed ones that can no longer fly – naturally overfeed in anticipation of migrations. The objective of Aline and her family is therefore that between September and December, these geese grease their livers on their own.
His geese therefore have access to the orchard to eat fruit. They are also invited to dig into a feeder whenever they want. It contains the “secret” mixture concocted by the family, which we only know is made from corn and other natural ingredients, and is high in calories.
“To have a golden liver, it must exceed 400 grams. We are even aiming for 500 grams. We have already managed to get livers that have the weight, even if it is not the majority. We are still in the research phase but compared to the last one, we have already made good progress. This year, we have passed a new milestone, we are on the verge of 'total success'. rejoices the breeder.
Work and diet
The speech could have been even more optimistic, without a hard blow a month ago. “We had very good results, on our first tests, we were very happy. We said to ourselves that this year, we would be at the top, says Aline Meyer. And then we did work on the roof of a building next to the enclosure The work was not particularly noisy, but just seeing a foreign presence for several days, the geese reduced their diet by 30%. It weighed us down a bit.
The disappointment is now over, the family remains positive. “We’re going to get there, no doubt about it”says Didier Meyer, Aline's father, between two force-feeding sessions. Not completely convinced by his daughter's project at first, he sees it now “a beautiful continuation of the story”. “It’s still a source of pride to say that one day we may be able to produce a goose product without force-feeding.” continues Guillaume, Aline's husband, who took care of feeding and pampering the geese this year.
Because of the work episode, the production of “golden liver” this year should not exceed ten kilos. The tasting of the first livers by the family must take place this week. “To be honest, I'm not sure that we will have exactly the same texture and taste as traditional foie gras this year. Quite simply because the livers are a little smaller. When we have less than 400 grams, We don't make golden liver, but liver mousse. We already made it last year and none of the customers who tried it told me that it wasn't good.”
Aline Meyer recognizes as easily as it takes “a few years to find the right process” and make it economically sustainable. His family will therefore continue to make and sell traditional goose foie gras. “But in a few years, we will be economically viable without foie gras, I have full confidence.” In the meantime, don't expect to taste the first kilos of golden liver produced this year: a Swiss customer took the gamble to buy the entire production, after a contract signed last year. Aline Meyer is, however, hopeful that this manufacturing process will become more widespread: “At first, no one had a phone, it was too expensive and now everyone has one.”
