# Pate de Foie Gras - should it be banned



## Warrigal (Jun 27, 2015)

I've never had pate de foie gras and as far as I can tell there is none produced in Australia but it can still be imported and bought online. In Brazil restaurants have now been forbidden to serve it. 

What do you think - pointless gesture, good move towards elimination of inhumane animal husbandry, nanny state ?  ???
Have you ever tasted it and does your country produce it ?



> *Brazil: Foie gras banned in Sao Paulo restaurants*
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## Bee (Jun 27, 2015)

I have eaten and enjoyed pate de foie gras several times straight from France..............until I read how it is made and I haven't touched it since.

That was several years ago.


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## RadishRose (Jun 27, 2015)

I have eaten duck liver pate produced by normal feeding only. I never had the expensive de foie gras. 
The forced feeding should be banned imo. 

Yes pate de foie gras is produced in the US. I read that California banned it in 2012 but federal court overturned that early this year.


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## Warrigal (Jun 27, 2015)

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness doesn't apply to birds and animals? Pity.

On a serious note, if some creature is to be killed for our dinner plates I believe that we should not waste any part of it. The parts we don't eat should used for feeding other animals, for fertiliser and for whatever else we can use them for. Not to  do this is to disrespect the life that we have taken. Also, out of respect for their lives I believe that while they are alive they should be treated humanely from birth or egg to the final moment of slaughter. Only then are we entitled to call ourselves evolved beings and stewards of creation.


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## Josiah (Jun 27, 2015)

This is utter disregard for the feelings of these poor birds. The practice should be banned.


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## RadishRose (Jun 27, 2015)

Veal also is often produced inhumanely in various places. 

[h=3]Veal Crates : The Humane Society of the United States[/h]www.humanesociety.org/.../*fact*...





The Humane Society of the United States


Nationwide, hundreds of thousands of calves raised for *veal* suffer nearly their entire ... Some include our guide to *meat* and dairy labels, 

[h=3]Facts on Veal Calves[/h]www.hsvma.org/*facts*_*v*...





Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association


"Milk fed" *veal* calves are often anemic.2 The calves are fed a low iron diet to produce the most desired white *meat*.



[h=3]Veal : A Cruel Meal - British Meat[/h]www.british*meat*.com/*veal*.html






Kick The Habit: give up *meat* today. ... The *veal* calf industry is one of the most reprehensible of all the kinds of intensive animal ... *Facts* on BSE (VIVA)


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## Warrigal (Jun 27, 2015)

Veal over here now is much redder now than it was when I was a kid.
It's more like yearling beef.


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## Falcon (Jun 27, 2015)

I have had pate on occasion and also veal, but I'm  never eating veal again and will look for the kind of pate that is produced in a humane manner.


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## Cookie (Jun 27, 2015)

Should definitely be banned. Disgustingly horrible and extremely and unnecessarily cruel.  What kind of unfeeling monsters are these people who do this.  I would never touch it, and stay away from meat anyway. The meat industry is bad enough and the veal industry is also abhorrent and should be banned.


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 27, 2015)

Anything that makes animals suffer like that should be banned, I never ate pate-de-foie-gras, have heard of it but didn't know exactly what it entailed until your post Warri.  Although I rarely ate veal anyway, since I heard about the animal abuse years ago, I refuse to eat it anymore.


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## Lon (Jun 27, 2015)

I have eaten and enjoyed both the expensive and in expensive pate and as far as the ban is concerned, if it's animal cruelty that is the concern then we could find good reasons to ban the eating of beef,lamb,pork, chicken,turkey, eggs, and yes even fish.


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## Cookie (Jun 27, 2015)

Now your talking, Lon, you have a good point there, but only if it stops you from participating in it by buying those products.


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## Lon (Jun 27, 2015)

Cookie said:


> Now your talking, Lon, you have a good point there, but only if it stops you from participating in it by buying those products.



Personally, I have no plans to change my healthy and varied eating habits to accommodate other folks concerns re: Animal Cruelty.
"TO EACH HIS OWN'


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## Cookie (Jun 27, 2015)

People who wish to continue to eat meat and poo poo animal cruelty are in denial.  It is so obvious that eating meat is not necessary for health, otherwise, all the billions of people in the world who do not eat meat would not be alive and healthy today.  People eat meat because they  like it, pure and simple.  And dislike people who don't eat meat because its a threat to their whole reality and cultural identity. I believe they don't care that animals are being tortured and abused for the sake of their 'healthy and varied eating habits' which is a priority to them, nor do they care about the environmental damage that the meat industry causes.  What do they care about? Eating meat.

When I first stopped eating meat back in 1970, it was pretty much unheard of at the time, my whole family thought I was crazy, and my mother took it very personally, as if I rejected my whole upbringing and culture and everything she had done and who she was as a person. So I can understand the effect it had on people then. In the past I felt very apologetic when I told people I was a vegetarian, tippi-toeing around them, to spare their feelings, knowing it somehow upset and angered them. And I can see  when I pronounced at my work luncheon that I didn't eat meat it did cause a rift, because we are so social that eating is a way for us to bond, so this separated us.

These days, because of all the additives, chemicals, hormones, etc. it is really more hazzardess to your health than it was 40 years ago. Unless it is organic, it is not the healthy choice it once was, in fact it is quite toxic. So whether or not to stop entirely or be very careful about it has become more complicated. 

Of course now I can buy meat alternative protein products if I so choose and vegetarians are now more accepted worldwide, as the younger generation gets on the animal rights bandwagon and the older generation merely wants to stay alive and prevent deadly diseases.


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## Lon (Jun 27, 2015)

Cookie said:


> Then you are part of the problem - people who wish to continue to eat meat and poo poo animal cruelty are in denial.  It is so obvious that eating meat is not necessary for health, otherwise, all the billions of people in the world who do not eat meat would not be alive and healthy today.  People eat meat because they  like it, pure and simple.  And dislike people who don't eat meat because they threaten their whole reality and cultural identity.  They should admit they don't care that animals are being tortured and abused for the sake of their 'healthy and varied eating habits' which is a priority to them, nor do they care about the environmental damage that the meat industry causes.  What do they care about? Eating meat.
> 
> When I first stopped eating meat back in 1970, it was pretty much unheard of at the time, my whole family thought I was crazy, and my mother took it very personally, as if I rejected my whole upbringing and culture and everything she had done and who she was as a person. So I can understand the effect it had on people then. In the past I felt very apologetic when I told people I was a vegetarian, tippi toeing around them, to spare their feelings, knowing it somehow upset and angered them. And I can see  when I pronounced at my work luncheon that I didn't eat meat it did cause a rift, because we are so social that eating is a way for us to bond, so this separated us.
> 
> ...



You don't understand Cookie. I am not in denial about anything, there are just some things that I don't give a Rat's Ass about and this is one of them. No offense intended. Don't choke on an artichoke.


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## Cookie (Jun 27, 2015)

Well, there is a theory out there that eating meat makes one more aggressive, and I might be right in the assumption that meat-eaters generally dislike vegetarians, but ...  I guess I was correct that you don't give a flying f***k about animal cruelty or the environment, but why should you, the older older generation won't be around to see the damage. It will be the flexible younger generation that prevails and will make the positive changes. Changing is so difficult, even changing one's perspective is not easy.


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## Lon (Jun 27, 2015)

Cookie said:


> Well, there is a theory out there that eating meat makes one more aggressive, and I might be right in the assumption that meat-eaters generally dislike vegetarians, but ...  I guess I was correct that you don't give a flying f***k about animal cruelty or the environment, but why should you, the older older generation won't be around to see the damage. It will be the flexible younger generation that prevails and will make the positive changes. Changing is so difficult, even changing one's perspective is not easy.



Oh dear Cookie, you are wrong on so many counts. First, I don't hate or dislike Vegetarians, Second, I may be Assertive, but I am hardly Aggressive and finally I am actively involved in Environmental Issues. and one of my favorite causes of all "Save The Yellow Bellied Mocking Bird"


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## Cookie (Jun 27, 2015)

Ha ha ha ha,  please spare me, my sides are splitting.   Very clever, but sorry, no cigar.  I am chastised.  Go in peace.  Yellow bellied mocking bird, indeed!


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 27, 2015)

Lon said:


> I have eaten and enjoyed both the expensive and in expensive pate and as far as the ban is concerned, if it's animal cruelty that is the concern then we could find good reasons to ban the eating of beef,lamb,pork, chicken,turkey, eggs, and yes even fish.



Most of us grew up eating meat Lon, and people have been killing animals for food for many, many years.  I prefer to see the animals in a natural setting, being treated well and cared for, no cages or cruelty.  At least they can enjoy a natural life before they are mature and used for meat, and then the slaughter should be as quick and humane as possible.

  The practices used in the pate-de-foie gras and veal are very abusive to the animal, people who make them suffer throughout their lifetime like that should be stopped, it is absolutely cruel and inhumane.  This is just my opinion, those who don't care if these animals are miserable and in pain their entire life, and those who don't eat meat at all will disagree with me.  Although I still eat meat, I lean toward the vegetarian's view of kindness to the animals.

  I still eat meat and don't intend to stop completely (although I may change my mind in the future), but I have to say that I eat much less than I did when I was younger, and my husband and I have gone up to a month at a time on a purely vegetarian diet. There's plenty of excellent tasty meatless meals one can enjoy.  I am an animal lover, and I respect all those who have made the personal decision to become a vegan or vegetarian, good for them.  

_"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~Immanual Kant~_


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## tnthomas (Jun 27, 2015)

Cookie said:


> People who wish to continue to eat meat and poo poo animal cruelty are in denial.  It is so obvious that eating meat is not necessary for health



Can you substantiate this claim with a link from an authoritative source(WHO, NIH, etc)?

Getting safe, decent quality meat and poultry is becoming increasingly difficult(and expensive); vegetable protein sources are certainly more low fat and easier to produce.


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## Cookie (Jun 27, 2015)

No need, tn.  Just use common sense.  If it was necessary for health, then all the billions of people around the globe who do not have access to meat would be sick or dead, and that just is not so.  I myself have been an vegetarian since 1970 and am quite healthy, I assure you. There are more and more people who are vegans now who are devastatingly healthy.  I have a 93 year old friend who is a vegan for about 30+ years and she is doing very well.  There are people around the globe who do not eat meat for religious reasons as well and they are quite alive and well. IMO it is not about it being necessary for good health, it's about taste.  People love meat and are loathe to give it up, even if it kills them.


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## tnthomas (Jun 27, 2015)

Well, the issue does go a little further than "common sense" can account for:



			
				Excerpt from Scientific American said:
			
		

> There is no doubt that human evolution has been linked to meat in many  fundamental ways. Our digestive tract is not one of obligatory  herbivores; our enzymes evolved to digest meat whose consumption aided  higher encephalization and better physical growth.


Read the rest of this article here

What does make sense is for meat production to diminish, as it is resource- heavy, requiring precious land, fresh water, plant resources as well as fossil fuel amounts, the consumption of which are becoming more economically counter-productive, as human population growth puts additional strain on  scarce resources.


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