California chefs seek repeal of looming foie gras ban

Food May. 04, 2012 - 06:23AM JST ( 10 )

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nudgenudgeMay. 04, 2012 - 11:08AM JST

Bad enough animals have to die to be food. But to torture them even before that. It needs to stop. But seriously, this is the tip of the iceberg. Regular treatment at thousands of factory farms across the nation are just as bad as this practice, if not actually worse.
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cleoMay. 04, 2012 - 02:52PM JST

So how exactly do these fat-headed chefs and goose farmers imagine there could be any kind of 'humane' method of inducing a diseased liver?

If you're going to go out of business because you're no longer allowed to inflict unspeakable torture on birds, then fine. You don't deserve to be in business in the first place.

“I do not believe that foie gras farming, when done correctly, is harmful or hurtful to the animal,”

So, Sonoma Foie Gras founder Mister Guillermo Gonzalez, would you be willing to subject yourself and/or your children to two weeks of force-feeding to deliberately produce a tasty, diseased liver ten times its normal size? No? why not, if it isn't harmful or hurtful? The kids might even enjoy it, especially if you get the same person to cram grain down their throats every time - let them bond and make friends.

Don't bother to answer.

It's the same blind pig-headed stupidity that claims foxes and deer enjoy the hunt. I have nothing but contempt for these people.

“I’m so infuriated with the bad faith going on here that words cannot describe it.”

These are people who think anything goes in an attempt to tickle a jaded palette. Expect huge servings of bad faith.
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Ranger_Miffy2May. 05, 2012 - 06:20AM JST

Leave the blasted birds alone! Chefs, find another ingredient, just like the human race has done since day one. Black market foie gras? CHEFS...good luck!
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SasorizaMay. 05, 2012 - 09:18AM JST

The mankind survived without foie gras for so long, I think we can manage without it from now on too.
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CosMay. 05, 2012 - 10:12AM JST

Chefs, find another ingredient, just like the human race has done since day one. The mankind survived without foie gras for so long,

It is suspected that since day one, the human race has killed animals to eat them. Farmed foie gras was around since the Egyptian and particularly the Jews that ate fat ducks as a staple. And before these civilisations, it was taken from migratory birds that they'd hunt. Our ancestors didn't get that migratory birds were sick with obesity and swollen liver. That said, yes, too sad that the big fish eat the small fish. To sad we kill our food. When we'll get the in-vitro meats and efficient ways to grow all the plants without animals by products (manure, etc), I'll agree that we can stop farming. We're not there in 2012. At that point, there have existed zero true vegan country that succeed in feeding its people, but countries that killed their people with veganism, we have seen a few. But why starting with a war on foie gras, while this is one of the less restrictive farming style and extremely limited ? At the same time, 98% of the meat, dairy and eggs that are sold in California are produced in factories with the animals in sorts of boxes. And these Californians spend their days driving trucks to supermarkets, to fetch fresh coconut water shipped by plane, and they find it totally "humane" that their country gets its oil by the ways of killings and torturing in Middle-East. And they can't say they need the meat of the victims to eat it. Weird sense of priority. Mine would be just the opposite order.

inflict unspeakable torture on birds

Of course, you can feel superior as a lifelong total vegan. I'm sure you never eat eggs nor dairies produced in Japan. The birds never see the outside light and get their natural cycles artificially messed so they make eggs daily 12 months a year (versus only a few during 4 months maxi in nature). To extract the huge huge amounts of milk, the cows are maintained permanently pregnant (good for health ?) and tortured with the same type of device as the ducks for foie gras, except that last years (all their lives), not just 2 weeks. All are force-fed and let's not even start with their menu.
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cleoMay. 05, 2012 - 11:10AM JST

since day one, the human race has killed animals to eat them

Big, big difference between killing and torturing.

why starting with a war on foie gras, while this is one of the less restrictive farming style and extremely limited ?

Because it's disgusting and inhumane, and the end product is totally unnecessary for a healthy balanced diet.

The birds never see the outside light and get their natural cycles artificially messed so they make eggs daily 12 months a year

I get my eggs local, semi-free-range. You're right that since bird flu the birds are not allowed outside, but they do get natural light and they are not force-fed.

Life isn't all black and white; we all live in varying shades of grey. Foie gras is pretty darn dark.
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Ranger_Miffy2May. 05, 2012 - 09:05PM JST

Yeah, Cos...big difference between what our very few ancestors did to eat and what we now as 7 billion do to animals we have captivated. Personally, if "meat" could be vat grown and the animals left alone and free, I would be good with that. Buddhist cuisine has the "non-meat" that is pretty good and hits the "I ate meat just now" button right on target.

Meanwhile, buy locally and buy free-range etc the best you can, re: cleo.
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kcjapanMay. 06, 2012 - 09:22AM JST

Foie Gras Grade A (fresh) $55.00/lb

Do you really think people who eat $55/lb food care where it's from or at what cost? A stupid law that won't stop the Canadians from filling the rich man's gullet with duck fat. Born to die, life is suffering, pass the gravy.
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Herve Nmn L'EisaMay. 06, 2012 - 01:19PM JST

The chefs are being victimized by inane regulations. The gastro-terrorist politician mentioned just is nuts. "It should come as no surprise that California was voted as THE LEAST FRIENDLY STATE FOR BUSINESS for the ninth year in a row by a CEO consortium just recently. Oppressive regulations such as possibly this fois gras fracas (I personally dislike it), have led to a mass exodus of businesses which is also a primary reason for the states revenue woes. California once rivaled State is now rather deep in the red Is it humane to let vegetables be attacked by those cruel insects that eat the leaves and cause the tomatos, ocra, and eggplants to nearly starve to death? STOP THE INSANITY!!"
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cleoMay. 06, 2012 - 01:33PM JST

Do you really think people who eat $55/lb food care where it's from or at what cost?

At the other end of the scale you have people who claim that only the well-to-do can afford to be fussy about where their food comes from....