France on Monday criticised a decision by Amazon to ban the sale of foie gras on its British website, following an animal rights campaign accusing producers of the delicacy of "very un-British" cruelty, reports AFP.
Activists have for years campaigned against the sale of foie gras, saying the practice of force-feeding ducks or geese in order to make the French gourmet item is cruel and amounts to torture.
"I regret Amazon's decision," Guillaume Garot, France's minister for agribusiness, told AFP.
"I once again want to point out the efforts made by French producers over the years to maintain real product quality while respecting the animal's well-being," he said.
The site Amazon.co.uk, which on Monday added "foie gras" to a list of prohibited animal products including "whale, dolphin and shark parts", would not comment on the reasons behind the ban.
But animal rights campaign group Viva! said the move followed pressure by the organisation, which earlier this year presented the US online retailer with "evidence of the abject suffering" caused by foie gras production.
Read more of this report from AFP.