Animal rights activists have convinced the City Council of Chicago to put a ban on foie gras. In case you do not know what foie gras is, it is a delicacy made of duck and goose liver. The ban is due to take effect on August 22, 2006, but until then, many Chicago restaurants are racing to offer special foie gras menu items to restaurant patrons.
Why did the animal rights activist want to see foie gras banned? They consider it cruel treatment to the animals because the ducks and geese are force fed to increase the size of their livers.
The lovers of foie gras are not letting the ban take place without a fight however. They are urging diners to sign petitions. Some people feel this is the start of something terribly wrong – allowing others to influence what people eat. The chef and owner of Tru, Rick Tramonto, said he believes the fight is now political and wonders where it will stop. Many are wondering if veal or lobster will be banned next. Obviously concerned, many in the food business have formed the North American Foie Gras Association (NAFGA) and hired lobbyists to help fight potential bans in other cities such as Philadelphia.
But not all chefs disagree with the ban. Chef Charlie Trotter voluntarily took foie gras off his menu after seeing how it was made. However, the lobbyist for the NAFGA says the ducks and geese are only force fed the last two to four weeks before slaughter and it is not painful.
The ban almost seems to be having a reverse effect. Now, patrons who might not have normally ordered foie gras are ordering it just because they feel pressure from the ban. Chef Tramonto is planning to open a restaurant outside the city limits of Chicago – and it will serve foie gras. It seems to me almost like prohibition – if you ban something, people are really, really going to fight to get it!
This is not the first ban of foie gras. There are many European counties that have already banned it. How do you feel about this? Do you like foie gras? Do you think it is cruel to the animals and should be banned in more cities?