French chefs in a flap over Japan's poultry ban

FRANCE - Bernard Anquetil only has enough imported French duck to last about a week, while across Tokyo fellow French chef Dominique Corby has been forced to take foie gras off the menu.

Japan's decision to ban poultry imports from France, including foie gras, over bird flu fears has caused alarm in the community of French chefs in Tokyo.

"I am very worried. Duck is used in 30 to 40 percent of my menu," said Anquetil, boss of "Petit Bedon", a well-known French restaurant in the chic Daikanyama district of the Japanese capital.

"For a week we can draw on stocks of duck, but after that, it all depends on how long the ban lasts," he added.

At "Le Sixieme Sens" the menus have changed due to the ban, which was imposed late Friday just hours after Paris said that the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus had been discovered in a second wild duck found dead in southeast France.

"I can get frozen products but I work only with fresh ingredients," said chef Corby.

"For us French restaurateurs, the impact of the ban is huge," he added.

Source: TodayOnline