New York City lawmakers pass bill banning sale of foie gras
Source: Associated Press
Verena Dobnik, Associated Press
Updated 7:12 pm CDT, Wednesday, October 30, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) New York City lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill that bans restaurants and grocery stores from selling foie gras, the fattened liver of a duck or goose considered a culinary delicacy for centuries.
The bill, which is expected to be signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, would forbid the sale of the French specialty starting in 2022.
Animal welfare activists had campaigned for a ban on the grounds that the methods used to produce foie gras are cruel, involving force-feeding a bird a corn-based mixture through a tube slipped down its throat.
Farmers who produce foie gras meaning fatty liver in French say the birds are treated humanely and don't suffer during the fattening process.
Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/us/article/New-York-City-expected-to-pass-bill-banning-foie-14573212.php
dhill926
(16,333 posts)iluvtennis
(19,843 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)I would never go onto a DU group and post inflammatory opinions. But this is on Latest Breaking.
This stuff makes us look ridiculous and aloof to the average American. Democrat, republican or independent.
Dont like foie gras? Think it cruel? Then dont eat it. Simple as that.
Same with Veal, rabbit and, well, meat. Same with legally hunting for food.
Like all health conscious Americans I try to limit my intake of fatty, Animal based foods and eat several vegetarian meals a week. But I like a steak once a month or so. And a couple of times a year I enjoy foie gras. As do many Americans of all political leanings.
This is most definitely not a political issue. At least not as defined by DU: supporting Democratic and associated candidates.
Harker
(14,007 posts)me as silly and aloof for innumerable reasons.
Okay by me!
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)And even have been learning French starting in my 40s. One of my redneck uncles actually asked me, in all seriousness, why I wanted to study such as sissy language!
But the fact remains, these kind of laws make us look silly. Even to someone like me. I favor lots stronger government regulation on things like insuring the food we are sold is health, wholesome and as advertised. But even I balk at government regulation of common food based on moral judgement.
elleng
(130,825 posts)and strongly approve much regulation, health and economic.
Harker
(14,007 posts)I have a few French novels lying about, and was recently surprised to find how much I could work out. A systematic approach would be very rewarding, I'm sure.
We have a different view on the matter at hand, in that you view it as a food regulation and I see it as a law for better treatment of animals.
I've quietly been vegan for 40 years, so am strongly biased toward the latter view.
cstanleytech
(26,273 posts)other animals for their meat?
Mind you I have no interest in eating it as it does not appeal to me in the least but it seems a bit absurd to pass such a law yet allow other animal meat products to continue to be sold.
Quackers
(2,256 posts)In order to cause the livers to enlarge, they insert large metal tubes down the throat and actually force large amounts of corn into them, well beyond what would actually fill them. Ducks have it done twice a day and geese are forced three times a day.
cstanleytech
(26,273 posts)forgotmylogin
(7,522 posts)Or would it not even work?
(Imagines that a free-range goose farm would likely be subject to poultry revolt on the regular.)
truthisfreedom
(23,141 posts)fattened duck producers, and my friend Christians ducks chase him around the farm begging for food. His ducks are the happiest, best fed animals Ive ever seen. The war against good food needs to end. If you dont like it, dont eat it.
Judi Lynn
(160,512 posts)Quackers
(2,256 posts)Found this online while researching.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/top-us-court-leaves-california-foie-gras-ban-intact-1.1964350
Judi Lynn
(160,512 posts)It's good to see the link you shared.
Judi Lynn
(160,512 posts)As the ban on foie gras is lifted in California, campaigners continue to fight against the force-feeding of geese. But what if the geese gorged themselves voluntarily? On one farm in Spain, the birds do just that
Trevor Baker
Wed 14 Jan 2015 07.50 ESTLast modified on Thu 2 Aug 2018 14.44 EDT
There has been jubilation in many of Californias swankiest restaurants this week as, for the first time in more than two years, customers have been legally allowed to enjoy the controversial delicacy foie gras. Indeed, some chefs have revelled in their role as the baddies of the animal rights world, boasting on social media that theyd been stocking it all along, planning celebratory feasts on the rich, creamy duck liver and all but laughing in the faces of birds choking on their food pipes.
However, the US district court has struck down the Californian ban on selling foie gras, which came into effect in 2012, not because they have a view on whether the product is cruel, but because they decided it was unconstitutional. Individual states arent allowed to impose rulings on labelling, packaging or ingredient requirements. Strictly speaking, it is not foie gras that California banned. They banned products produced by the force-feeding of a bird for the purpose of enlarging its liver beyond normal size.
This may seem like a semantic point, but it could be crucial in the next legal challenge. Food law expert Baylen Linnekin, himself a defender of foie gras, quotes the Humane Society campaigner Paul Shapiros claim that: Force-feeding is not an ingredient of foie gras, since foie gras can be produced without resorting to such cruel methods. This might cause some surprise on both sides of the debate. In France, the country where foie gras is most deeply embedded in the culture, the product is defined by law as the liver of a goose or duck fattened by a feeding tube, a process known as gavage. Overfeeding causes a chemical change within the liver as it stores fat cells, creating the smooth texture beloved by sybarites from the ancient Egyptians to the present day.
However, there is at least one producer who doesnt create his foie gras by force. Spanish farmer Eduardo Sousa came to prominence when food writer Dan Barber featured him in a TED talk called The Surprising Parable of Foie Gras. Sousa produces what his fans call ethical foie, but which he prefers to call natural.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jan/14/can-foie-gras-ever-be-ethical
Humane Decisions:
Hundreds of restaurants around the world have stopped serving foie gras because of its inherent and obvious animal cruelty.
More:
https://www.humanedecisions.com/foie-gras-cruelty/
~ ~ ~
It's horrific when people believe humane choices might interfere with their maximum satiation. No compromises, eh?
It IS a matter of depth of character, maturity, intelligence, civility. Nothing but.
Apparently some have, after reflection, decided it's better to live without a conscience.
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)most restaurants in my area take orders for duck, The uber liberal enclave in the next county over & the one above that will be pissed, farmers markets, sell, boar, deer, antelope, duck, ostrich, emu, quail, rabbits, etc.
Ducks are process into a number of other products, Duck Prosciutto, Pastrami, Bacon
A number of other products from the Foie Gras are also produce fat is made into butter, .
They aren't force fed at this farm. Some are hand fed when young, they have open feeders where food is dropped.
They limit the amount of ducks processed at 120k.
It may have been banned in California.