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Foie gras force-feeding is frightening, Laforet
by Michael Croland
Monday, Nov. 01, 2004 at 4:27 PM
mic@andrew.cmu.edu
Voices for Animals carves “no foie gras” in jack-o-lanterns
laforet_001.jpg, image/jpeg, 1600x1200
Voices for Animals (VFA) celebrated Halloween weekend with a pumpkin-in, asking Highland Park’s Laforet to remove foie gras from its menu. Foie gras is the frighteningly oversized liver induced from force-feeding ducks and geese a third of their body weight several times daily so that their livers expand to be 10-12 healthy size.
The force-feeding results in hepatic lipidosis, a type of liver disease. If eating a bile-secreting organ is not disgusting on its own, foie gras is truly sick.
VFA has negotiated and convinced 8 local restaurants – including Eleven, Baum Vivant, and Bikki – to stop selling foie gras since January. The group is asking Laforet to follow their lead.
“Unfortunately, Laforet has confused the freedom to choose with the freedom to harm and abuse animals,” said Peter McKosky, campaign coordinator for VFA’s Foie Gras-Free Pittsburgh campaign. “Laforet needs to get foie gras off of their menus and out of their kitchen.”
VFA’s efforts have been echoed all over the country. In September, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation banning the sales and production of foie gras in California, one of only two states in the country where foie gras is produced. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported yesterday that Barclay Prime will likely remove foie gras from its much-hyped Philly cheese-steak, and today’s Orlando Sentinel featured an exposé of foie gras production and other factory-farms.
The gourmet cruelty is already banned in more than a dozen countries. Israel is the third-leading producer of foie gras in the world, but its ban will go into effect in March.
The jack-o-lanterns might stay confined to Halloween weekend, but VFA left their Saturday night protest chanting “We’ll be back.” The group is determined to make its “no foie gras” message a reality.
For more information on VFA’s Foie Gras-Free Pittsburgh campaign, visit PghFoieGras.com. E-mail voices4animals@yahoo.com to receive updates.
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