Despite the price increases, despite the controversies over force-feeding, the French remain attached to this emblematic dish of French gastronomy. As the holidays approach, purchases of foie gras accelerate, but be careful, not all products are created equal! Taste qualities can vary significantly from one jar to another, as shown in our taste test.
We called on a jury made up of sensory experts to evaluate 15 foie gras (10 cooked, 4 semi-cooked and one unspecified) under own brands or private labels (MDD), purchased in supermarkets, all original French. The experts noted the appearance, smell, texture with a knife and in the mouth, taste and persistence in the mouth. Overall, the overall scores range from single to double.
A Red Label in the lead
It is a semi-cooked foie gras with double label – Red Label and protected geographical indication (PGI) – which comes first, followed by a Labeyrie product (Lur Berri cooperative), also semi-cooked but without any sign of quality. They are among the three most expensive in the selection, the most expensive, Jean Larnaudie’s whole cooked foie gras, being sold for €183 per kg.
Among the other references, other semi-cooked foie gras do not particularly stand out, nor do the IGPs.
Cooked or half-cooked, ambiguous displays
Please note, we note a lack of transparency regarding information on cooking foie gras: it is difficult, if not impossible, to know whether the product is cooked or semi-cooked in the absence of a clear mention on the label. This is the case for the aforementioned references Terres paysannes, de Labeyrie, but also the Atelier du foie gras. Thus, Labeyrie successively indicates “Cuit en papillote” then “mi-cuit” in the legal notices on the back of the pot.
If in doubt, follow the product’s storage advice: put it in the refrigerator if it says “store between 0 and +4°C”. Do not be fooled by the mention of a DDM, which is different from a DLC. As a reminder, the DDM (minimum durability date) concerns products “preferably consumed before” such date. Beyond that, the taste qualities may be altered, but their consumption does not entail any health risk. The best before date (use by date) corresponds to the words “consume until…”. Beyond this date, foods are likely to represent a health risk.
Rising prices
The high inflation which hit food products in 2022 and 2023 has not spared foie gras. But it was stronger for private label products than for national brands, and for blocks than for whole products. The increases affected the least expensive products on the shelf more, reducing the price differential.
Thus, blocks of foie gras under private label have soared by 22% in two years (between December 2022 and December 2024), compared to 14% for those under own brand. As for whole foie gras, the increase was more moderate: 13% in two years for private labels, compared to 9% for national brands.
Red card for U Saveurs
The U Saveurs whole duck foie gras, one of the four semi-cooked in the selection, still contains two additives in its recipe: E250 and E301. The first is a preservative, sodium nitrite, classified “to avoid” in our evaluation of additives because it is classified as a probable carcinogen by health agencies. The second is an antioxidant, sodium ascorbate. A priori it does not present any danger.
It is regrettable to still find this type of ingredient in a foie gras recipe, especially since it is entirely possible to do without them – which is what the 14 other references in our selection do! So check the list of ingredients carefully when purchasing.
