Hong Kong, July 28 -- It's the quintessential French delicacy, but increasingly targeted by animal welfare activists: Can foie gras grown from duck cells find a place at the table for gourmet food fans?

That's the goal for Gourmey, a Paris-based venture that raised US$10 million from European and US investors this month to perfect its recipe for making fattened duck liver in a lab.

"There's a very strong need for an alternative to regular foie gras, a controversial product that needs to re-invent itself," said Nicolas Morin-Forest, one of Gourmey's three founders. "We want to show that cultured meat is not limited to burgers but can also be used for gastronomic products."

Duck livers, a speciality of southwest France in particular, are...