Worst than that, they thrashed the home twice and threathened the only Calif. Foie Gras maker who has made this his life for 30 years.

I happen to find foie gras positively sublime. An extraordinary tasting experience.

You know, Mary Tyler Moore lobbies against consuming lobsters...which, due to plentitude, were, at once time, standard fare at state prisons in the state of Maine.

One has only to understand and appreciate the "food chain" on the planet so as not to become overly distressed.

Even Julia (Child) would have you know that the means of slaughtering pigs (whether they knew what was about to happen to them) determined the tenderness and quality of the meat.

It is ever so amusing that staunch vegetarians declare that they consume "nothing with eyes", yet plant are "living".

Oh yes, my dears, Foie Gras is simply too too divine, scrumptious and ever ever so lovely.
Sorry I would say more but my pinkie got stuck in the air.
Carry on!

Unless you are vegetarian, you should have nothing to say.

We should also ban feed lots for cattle and all pigs and chickens should be free range; THEN you can start moralising on duck and goose abuse ;)

From the age of about 14 to 18(the 'protest years') I refused to eat either veal or fois gras. Then I grew up and realised what a boring, sanctimonious hypocrite I was being; I chucked the PC rule book out the window and tucked in. Now both come pretty bloomin' high on my favourites list.

If it bothers you, you should be vegetarian (and that's fair enough); if you won't be a vegetarian, shut up. Hypocrisy is terribly irritating.

I don't think you have to be a vegetarian to object to certain food production methods.

It's not hypocrisy to be against foie gras production and yet to eat meat, as long as you aren't preaching to others and telling them what they should or shouldn't eat. Everyone has their own limits. Some people eat meat but can't bear to see a whole dead chicken, lamb or rabbit in the butcher's shop. Some people won't eat black pudding because it's made of blood.

In our modern, consumer-driven societies, it's nigh impossible to avoid all sources of so-called "cruelty" to animals. So it's down to each individual to make their own, informed choices. If that means not eating force-fed goose or duck, then so be it.

Some people choose to be vegetarian, others don't feel strongly enough about the issue to take that step.

My personal choice is to eat little meat and to opt for as much organic produce as I can, for environmental reasons, and because I want to support the organic farming industry.

But I won't condemn those who choose to purchase mass-produced factory farmed food, especially if their choice is financially motivated.
I think the most important thing is for people to understand how their food is produced and to make their decisions based on that information.

Oh, and just for the record, I hate foie gras anyway!! :&

So to many it seems it's a matter of taste - it something tastes good enough it justifies the extreme animal cruelty involved in producing it - how about the live cats they throw into boiling water in China - where's the limit. Though I would like to see all animal killing ceased (not banned)I would ban practices where animals suffer. No being stuck in a cage where there is no room to move at all and then having a funnel stuck in your esophagus and being pumped full of grain; this is over the line. I don't believe in making it illegal as the black market or China, etc. will fill in but only thru boycotting the food, however, delectable it may be, is the answer. Bon appetit!

I understand that food scientists have been commissioned by the EU to develop a tofu-based foie gras alternative. There is, however, some concern that fruitarians will be objecting to the stresses applied to the soybeans in the production of this product.

"Suzanne Valadon" I just loved your post.

Some posters seem to have their little fingers perpetually stuck in the air, don't they?

Positively "sublime"?

PalQ, Thanks for your post..I wish that more people knew what is going on and is not necessary for the animals to have such a cruel way to live and die.
Grazie again, Ciao,
AnnaMaria

I guess I need to turn around and go back to the Dordogne and tell all those ducks I saw in Tursac last week who were tripping over each other to get to the funnels that they're being subjected to extreme cruelty, because they sure were blissfully unaware of it. And for the record, I've never seen a duck or goose confined in a cage in all the years I've been frequenting the Dordogne, except for at private homes where people have a few fowl to look after and don't want them running out into the road. The foie gras ducks and geese are always outdoors in very large pens with loads of room to range.

I just returned from France, with 3 days in the Dordogne at a chambre d'hote at a goose farm. They had about 500 geese, room for more, and had just installed a power-crammer machine for feeding the geese. I don't know if such automation is common, but this thing was about 8 feet tall, 4-5 feet diameter, and pumped pre-measured gobs of food through a hose which would get crammed down the goose' throat. Didn't bother me, but then I'm not a goose.