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be serving and eating foie gras: the issue is whether the ducks are
being (as the animals rights activists put it) TORTURED.
FIRST of all, I don't think any meat company's intention is to raise
animals so they can suffer and be tortured. That, of course, would not
only put so much stress on an animal it would probably die before
processing, but at the very least PRODUCE BAD MEAT. This,
however, does not seem to be the case. I have a hunch the meat
companies want their animals to live and be as healthy as possible so
they can eventually be properly processed. Otherwise, the animal
would have very little value.
I'm sure it varies from company to company how they treat their
animals. On a duck farm, as on any farm, there is always loss of life
because of the sickly or weak. I don't believe the percentage is any
greater than a chicken farm, turkey farm, etc...... Yeah there's shit,
yeah it smells bad in some areas, but that's why they call it a
FUCKING FARM.
SECOND, let's not forget a duck’s anatomy is very different than one
of a human. So when the misinformed activists state, "They torture the
duck by putting a tube down it's throat and force feeding it, enlarging
their liver, causing the duck to ‘suffer’," it obviously will strike a
chord with the general public. The word "suffer" always gets us
humans. If it has the word "suffer" in it, well then, it must be true.
The activists paint a very gruesome picture using photos of the
sickliest ducks they can find, and make it sound like the only part
used is the liver. The fact is, as with most farmed animals, virtually
all the parts are transformed into a food/product. Of course, to
imagine having that feeding procedure (called “gavage”) done on us
sounds a little horrifying. But what they fail to mention, (and here is
where the misinformed part comes into play) is that a duck’s upper
digestive tract (esophagi) is extremely different, not only from a
human’s, but other bird types as well.
Ducks’ esophagi are designed to accommodate whole large fish
(bones and all) at times. For us humans, THAT also sounds a little
horrifying. If the feeding procedure is so stressful and causes the
ducks to suffer so much, one would imagine there would be signs of
liver disease. This does not seem to be the case. Duck’s don't only
eat differently, but they also store their food differently. Between
their beaks and their gizzard (which would be their “stomach”) is
the gullet, sort of a holding station for food. This gives the duck time
to digest the food they have taken in previously. This is a natural
process of storing food that a duck’s body is designed for. It is
virtually impossible to feed a duck when its gullet is full. This would
cause the duck to die. The only slightly deceptive aspect of the
feeding process is making the duck think it’s a different time of year
and hour of the day during gavage feedings. This allows the duck to
go into “gorge” mode. In California, these gavage feedings last only
14-17 days of the duck’s entire life.
Until the last stage of the gavage feedings, from duckling to full-
grown, the ducks here live more than half their lives free range.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, let us realize, every year wild ducks
naturally gorge themselves (which enlarges their liver) to build up
fat prior to migrating, keeping them warm and giving them a source of
nutritional fat to call upon. Obviously, in the wild they would not
increase the size as in commercial operations. This is animal
agriculture. A wild cow would never produce the thousands of liters
of milk that commercial cows produce.
THIRD, let us also remember that most of the animal rights activists
are vegetarians. If they had it their way NOBODY would be eating
meat. Then it would be no seafood. And let's not forget plants have
feelings too. Soon meat eaters will be left with only tofu and wheat
gluten. But that will probably never happen. The more I think about it,
the Beef and Poultry Associations are far too big for these activists.
Throughout the years, the Beef and Poultry Associations have
contributed so much money to carefully selected political campaigns
that they apparently have their own senators to protect them. Though
these two associations are so powerful, they have shown evidently
very little support on the duck/foie issue.
But aside from the political tug of war on this trendy controversy, I
have really only one question for the activist, "How many of you
wear cosmetic make-up or have eaten jell-o for many years, not
knowing what they're made from?” Ah, yes, a little knowledge is a
dangerous thing.
I'm not telling people what to believe or what to do. I'm not telling
people what to eat or what not to eat. And I sure do appreciate living
in a country where people can still have a difference of opinion and
live on the same block without their neighbors trying to live their life
and make decisions for them. I have a gut feeling the people who
enjoy foie will always enjoy it. And the people who don't, won't.
What's wrong with that? I'm just a chef cooking it and if you want
some.....come and get it!
Footnote: My good friend Chef Scott Giambastiani and I have been
fortunate enough to have had a guided tour of a local duck farm
and processing plant and have seen the ENTIRE process from the
duckling farm to the final product. In addition to what I have seen
and learned, I have also researched some basic facts on California
foie gras production. Although I do not claim to be an expert on
this subject, I have learned enough to form my own opinion. This
information is readily and easily accessible to the general public. I
encourage EVERYBODY to learn the facts and form their own
opinion.
- Chef Jon Sears