The mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, has banned foie gras from official events because of its cruelty to animals.
She told news radio France Blue that the decision to ban foie gras was already made in 2020 when she became mayor of Strasbourg, but it’s now made public. Foie gras will not be served anymore at official occasions in the French city.
To make foie gras, ducks and geese are force-fed with a tube stuck down their throat. Grains and fat are pumped into their stomachs a few times a day which causes their liver to become ten times bigger. Foie gras is made from their liver.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) welcomed Barseghian’s decision. “Goose and duck abuse has no place in modern society,” said PETA campaign adviser Mimi Bekhechi.
“PETA thanks the mayor of Strasbourg for her compassionate decision to stop serving despicable foie gras. Torture has no place on the dinner table and foie gras alternatives are the step forward,” Bekhechi added.
The vegan foie gras version of Michelin star French chef Alexis Gauthier is made from mushrooms and walnuts. And in July, the French organization Gourmey raised $10 million (8.5 million euros) to produce foie gras from duck cells grown in a lab.
“There’s a very strong need for an alternative to regular foie gras, a controversial product that needs to re-invent itself,” Gourmey’s Nicolas Morin-Forest said.
Making foie gras is illegal in Finland, Italy, Turkey, Poland and other countries.
The Animal Reader is a small, independent news platform with daily posts about issues affecting animals.
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