Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Foie ban
There's been some activity locally around this foie gras ban that's about to go into effect. Some local chefs are taking action. From what I've seen of foie gras production, it's pretty hard to argue that it's not cruel and unusual punishment, and it seems weird to me that the same chefs who are scrupulous in sourcing ethically produced meat are rallying around this cause. After all, they are against overcrowded pigs and chickens with their beaks clipped, right? This seems more cruel. This could very well stem from the fact that I don't really like foie gras, especially when it's torched or warmed in any way. I liken it to bullfighting, which I think should be banned. I don't care if it's a cultural tradition. So are public beheadings in some places. I saw a bullfight in Spain and it was horrific. I thought it would be festive and the outfits are so cool, etc., and instead it was people carving a hole in a live bull.
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16 comments:
I worry that it's only a matter of time before beheadings are banned in Davis.
-miller
To watch Mulvaney being interviewed on the news and look the reporter in the eye while saying it's not cruel treatment, really disgusted me.
I was surprised they actually showed video of the process. To read how it's made is bad enough, let alone watching that metal pole being shoved down the duck's throat.
But I'm sure those are free-range ducks, so they must be happy, right???
Aside from the actual force-feeding being cruel, the point of the process is to cause the bird's liver to engorge and swell to 10 times normal size, which results in great discomfort & health problems. Much of Europe already prohibits force-feeding, as does Israel. The EU is working to phase out force-feeding in the remaining countries where it is still practiced.
hear hear!
For Douglas Keane, chef-partner of the four-star Cyrus in Healdsburg, the issue is not so much the freedom to decide what to serve but rather the creation of humane farming standards.
In fact, Keane - a licensed dog trainer and frequent animal shelter volunteer - refuses to serve ingredients he believes to be immoral, like milk-fed veal. Keane insists this is not the case with foie gras ducks at places like Sonoma Foie Gras or another preferred producer, New York's Hudson Valley Foie Gras.
"It sounds so horrible in concept and theory that people can jump on it, but for those that haven't seen what happens, which I did with my crew, these ducks were not in the least bit uncomfortable," said Keane, who also signed the petition.
"I've seen ducks that have been on gavage for 14 days. I've touched their necks. This is husbandry, this is farming. I walked away 100 percent confident serving it. The only way to go is to fight it and go get a sponsor for a bill."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/04/28/MN5A1OA7U6.DTL&ao=2#ixzz1texgnQ00
JD
I don't buy it, even if I accepted that it doesn't hurt to shove a metal tube through the esophagus and force feed the goose, what about the grossly swollen liver? Yes, geese may gorge a couple of times a year, but never to that extent. I understand, there is a lot of cruelty in meat production and why take a stand there? But you have to take a stand somewhere and this is a good place. California voters (geniuses that they are) also took a stand on egg production, which led to lots of legal problems and is probably not even being enforced.
Along the lines of JD's post, Mark Pastore of Incanto weighs in:
http://incanto.biz/2009/02/01/shock-foie/
and
http://incanto.biz/2012/04/29/the-r-spot/
GW
For those like Mark Pastore who say that studies were not done, all the California Legislative analyses of this bill reference this European Union Scientific Committee 93-page report: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/international/out17_en.pdf
For more info on the Cali leg. process that led to this bill (SB 1520 of 2004), just check out the official leg info site at www.leginfo.ca.gov. There is a quote in some of the analyses from the Israeli Supreme Court ruling against foie gras production that is kind of neat: " Indeed, whoever wishes to may find, in the circumstances of this appeal, prima facie justification for the acts of artificial force feeding, justification whose essence is the need to retain the farmer's source of livelihood and enhance the gastronomic delight of others... But this has a price - and the price is reducing the dignity of Man himself." At the time, Israel was the world's fourth largest foie gras producer.
Okay, time to leave my (legislative research) job and go home, so no more posts from me for now.
Great link GW. Pretty much expresses my view on this issue. Bring back horse meat as well, I say.
JD
Why bother with foie gras really, when chicken production is so disgusting? Or pink slime ground meat? Because it's easy to protest--who's going to give up their boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cheap hamburger patties? No one.
I for one, am pissed. I like it. I don't eat it very often, because it's expensive--as it should be.
The argument that irked me was that in these economic times we shouldn't be putting any more restrictions on hard hit restaurants. And the dude who wrote this bill responded, they've had 7 years to come up with a new delicacy to serve their customers I think that's long enough. Which I thought was an awesome response. Because really, what does foie gras consumption have to do with hard economic times?? No restaurant will close over this.
jamattack!
I say bring back horsemeat, too. Those two things have nothing to do with each other. Neither does pink slime. When you say "why start here?", I say "because you have to start somewhere"
Banning horse meat and foie gras both involve people forcing their personal moral stance on a food issue on others.
JD
Do you think meat production should be entirely unregulated? Honest question, not snotty.
I don't think you're being snotty. I hope I'm not coming off that way either. It seems something that can be reasonably discussed among friends. It's weird how on the Internet, though, just disagreeing about something can get all intense, when if you're in person it would be way more mellow. By the way, do you happen to hate the Internet at all?
And, no, I'm not against all regulation. I'm in favor of what the chefs group is proposing in terms of creating standards and regulation as opposed to an outright ban. I'm just uncomfortable with legislating morality-based food issues. Especially when it's not clear cut; I mean there are reasonable arguments being made on both sides.I love foie gras, but have only eaten it a few times and wouldn't likely miss it if it were gone, I just don't like the impulse behind banning such things.
JD
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