Foodies May Lose Foie Gras in Hawaii

by Stephanie Feldstein · 2010-02-10 14:00:00 UTC
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Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Trotter, and the British Royal Family have pledged to live without foie gras. Yet, a bill to ban the dish that's working its way through the Hawaiian legislature is pitting foodies against animal advocates. Food blogger and former pastry chef Edward T. Morita says the delicacy isn't cruel. "Ducks and geese don't have a gag reflex, so it doesn't bother them at all."

By definition, and contrary to Mr. Morita's opinion, there is no way to get foie gras on the menu without animals suffering. Foie gras is literally translated as "fatty liver," a diseased condition caused by force feeding ducks and geese. Gag reflexes aside, tubes are inserted into the birds' throats for intensive force feeding several times a day. As the desired liver disease progresses, the liver swells up to ten times its normal size, causing sickness and pain. And, of course, this process takes place in your typical factory farm.

Foie gras bans have been introduced in other areas with mixed results. In 2012, a ban will go into effect in California, where about half of the U.S. foie gras production takes place. Chicago, the first city to ban the dish, repealed their ban only two years later. Over the past several years, legislation has popped up and then dropped off the radar in a handful of other cities and states around the country. A foie gras ban would be a big step for Hawaii, which generally has weak animal protection laws.

Photo credit: Firecatstef

Stephanie Feldstein is a Change.org Editor who has been part of the animal welfare and rescue community for over a decade, and most recently worked for an environmental organization.
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