▁law ▁states ▁that ▁" F o ie ▁gr as ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁protected ▁cultural ▁and ▁g astr onom ical ▁her itage ▁of ▁France ." ▁ ▁The ▁technique ▁of ▁g av age ▁dates ▁as ▁far ▁back ▁as ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁BC , ▁when ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians ▁began ▁keeping ▁birds ▁for ▁food ▁and ▁deliber ately ▁f atten ed ▁the ▁birds ▁through ▁force - feed ing . ▁Today , ▁France ▁is ▁by ▁far ▁the ▁largest ▁producer ▁and ▁consumer ▁of ▁fo ie ▁gr as , ▁though ▁it ▁is ▁produced ▁and ▁consum ed ▁world wide , ▁particularly ▁in ▁other ▁European ▁nations , ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁China . ▁ ▁G av age - based ▁fo ie ▁gr as ▁production ▁is ▁controvers ial , ▁due ▁mainly ▁to ▁the ▁animal ▁w elf are ▁concerns ▁about ▁force - feed ing , ▁int ensive ▁housing ▁and ▁husband ry , ▁and ▁en larg ing ▁the ▁li ver ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁times ▁its ▁usual ▁volume . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁countries ▁and ▁juris dict ions ▁have ▁laws ▁against ▁force - feed ing , ▁and ▁the ▁production , ▁import ▁or ▁sale ▁of ▁fo ie ▁gr as ; ▁even ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁legal , ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁ret ail ers ▁decl ine ▁to ▁stock ▁it . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁An cient ▁times ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁BC , ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ians ▁learned ▁that ▁many ▁birds ▁could ▁be ▁f atten ed ▁through ▁forced ▁over feed ing ▁and ▁began ▁this ▁practice . ▁Whether ▁they ▁particularly ▁sought ▁the ▁f atten