My sister Imogene recently returned from Paris, where she’s apparently been eating her fill of pâté de foie gras. That side of the family is South African, and I’ve never really seen them pause to consider the ethics of their diet. So, my sister may be unaware of the following gruesome facts about how they make fois gras.
For the vegan and non-gourmands among us, foie gras is pâté made from duck and goose livers:
- Birds are routinely confined to small cages or crowded pens, where they are force-fed tremendous amounts of feed via a 12- to 16-inch plastic or metal tube, which is shoved down their throats and attached to a pressurized pump.
- The force-feeding may be performed twice daily for up to two weeks for ducks and three to four times daily, for up to 28 days for geese.
- Force-feeding causes the liver to increase in size about 6-10 times compared to the normal size for a bird.
- Increased liver size forces the abdomen to expand, which makes moving difficult and painful.
- Ducks and geese are social animals who suffer when confined in individual cages.
- Ducks and geese also suffer when they’re not allowed enough water to swim and preen, which they do naturally in the wild.
These grisly facts and others come from the informatiive Humane Society of the United States. That, ladies and gentlemen, is one unhappy goose:
DarrenBarefoot.com 
I’m aware I’m aware -but the thing is-the liver is already in the kitchen ready to go and yummy. Might as well order it. I ate veal too. live and let live I says. Also -how do you know I didn’t eat free range fois gras?? OH and I love that book you lent me btw -excellent thanks!
I know that you didn’t eat free range fois gras because you don’t know the french word for ‘free range’.
Live and let live? Shall we cage you up, force-feed you and then say ‘c’est la vie’? Come to think of it, you might go for that lifestyle. Never mind.
must be libre somethin’. anyway if it makes you feel any better the fois gras made me sick for a whole afternoon. But I was up to the task the next morning again. 😉
I’m sure that’s no consolation to the goose.
well goosey did get the last laugh -unbeknowst to him. I don’t think my abstaining from eating fois gras is going to alter the food chain to the degree of causing less goose/duck deaths. I know that is probably the type of statement you hate. oh well there it is 😉
That side of the family is aware, but I still say us not eating is not going to save the goose as the French are eating it all time anyway
Well, I imagine you guys are glad that women didn’t think that way at the turn of century, or you still wouldn’t have the vote. “Oh dear, Mabel, one person can’t make a difference. Finish your needlework and get started on those potatoes.”
Let’s pick a few things that consumers, as individuals, have changed in the marketplace. To make it trickier, we’ll stick only with food products:
dolphin-friendly tuna, free range poultry and meat, farm vs. wild salmon…
Here’s a bonus nifty fact that I learned from ‘Fast Food Nation’, a terrifying book: Consumption of beef in the United States peaked in 1976, and, to the dismay of the beef industry, has been declining ever since.
So, clearly individuals can have an effect on issues like this.
well okay then -other individuals can make the difference for the geese. I on the other hand am still going to eat my foie gras in Paris if I want to.
I’m just pointing out the facts. If you want to support that particular animal cruelty, that’s your decision.
To quote my own dear brother who I was talking to about foie gras and ‘meat’ pate just yesterday, “If you put those things down beside a tin of dog food, I can not tell the diference. This indicates that it should not be eaten. Period.”
Darren, I think you’ll find that chicken consumption has risen to pick up the slack in the demand for beef…
Oh yeah, and haven’t you learned in 28 years it’s futile to argue these things with Imo!?
ya that’s right Andrew -and besides that goose is looking proper unhappy -he is probably better off dead.
FTR, it’s twenty-NINE years, Andrew!
Foie gras is actually just the liver…not a pate made from the liver…if you get the real deal anyway 🙂
I’ve never had it, but apparently it is awesome sauteed in some oil…
According to an article I recently read (trying to remember where, but it was a reliable source), there is some question about whether dolphin-friendly tuna fishing practices are actually better or worse for the environment as a whole. turns out the alternative practices are worse for sea turtles, sharks, marlin and other fish. so which species get the highest priority??