At this restaurant in California, foodies prepare to bid adieu to a French delicacy.

They are having one last taste of foie-gras - made from the livers of ducks and geese - just hours before a state-wide ban on the food comes into effect.

Many here are lamenting the ban, which comes after years of pressure from animal rights activists.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CLAUD BELTRAN, CHEF OF NOIR FOOD AND WINE, SAYING:

"It's just a very rich, amazing product that, I don't think there's anything to duplicate what the flavor is."

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CREIGHTON TURNER, FOIE GRAS AFICIONADO, SAYING:

"Well, I think it's a terrible thing. I think foie gras is one of the real culinary treats that civilization has created and I don't think that the method of feeding ducks is particularly inhumane."

Animal rights activists have long disagreed.

Foie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese with a tube to enlarge their livers.

State lawmakers banned the process in 2004 - but they gave afficionados a seven-year grace period.

Activists say the ban is long overdue.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRYAN PEASE, CO-FOUNDER OF ANIMAL PROTECTION AND RESCUE LEAGUE, SAYING:

"Foie gras is a barbaric product, it never should have existed, it certainly should not exist now in 2012. It's made by cruelly force-feeding ducks to enlarge their livers and there's no justification for it."

The ban came into effect on Sunday.

Andrew Raven, Reuters