Wegmans Gives Up the Goose Liver in Cooking Classes

by Annie Hartnett · 2011-06-13 15:04:00 UTC
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Wegmans is a well-known supermarket, with nearly 80 stores scattered across the Mid-Atlantic region. Wegmans brags that their name "strikes fear into the hearts of [competitor] supermarket owners."

I can't speak for Price Chopper or Hannaford, but I am happy to report that geese and ducks can be less afraid of Wegmans' name this week: The supermarket elected to remove foie gras from the menu at three in-store cooking classes in New York and Pennsylvania.

Foie gras is created by force-feeding ducks or geese systematically through a metal tube in order to create diseased, fatty livers. The cruelty of foie gras production is well-documented. Wegmans' spokeswoman Jo Natale reported that the foie gras was removed after customers contacted the company “asking us to reconsider that dish on the menu.”

Morgan Dunbar, of Animal Allies of Western New York, was one of the activists who protested Wegmans' proposed menu. Dunbar said she was "relieved" that Wegmans listened to customer concerns, and called Wegmans "a staple in our community."

“There is no humane way to force-feed an animal," Dunbar continued. "The public has spoken, and made it clear that they will no longer stand for this egregious level of cruelty that occurs in foie gras production.”

Wegmans should be applauded for this recent compassionate decision not to use foie gras in their gourmet cooking classes. Unfortunately, however, Wegmans still isn't bird-friendly: Foie gras remains on the Wegmans supermarket shelves.

Foie gras is even featured online at Wegmans' website. The link to a recipe for Seared Foie Gras with Vanilla-Roasted Peaches is broken, but that may be a mere coincidence. The website informs shoppers that D'Artagnan duck foie gras is available for sale in select stores, and you can search by zip code to find the heart-less liver product.

If Wegmans recognizes that foie gras is too cruel for their cooking classes, it should be too cruel for their supermarkets. Sign our petition to ask Wegmans to stop selling foie gras at all supermarket locations.

Photo Credit: olibac

Annie Hartnett is a writer and animal advocate who has worked for several wildlife rehabilitation centers and environmental programs.

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