Foie Gras

[timo2]

Recently on this forum there was a discussion that included mention of Foie Gras. For California Retirees, that apparently is not an easy option, unless they are smuggled. [when foie gras is outlwlawed, only outlaws will have foie gras]

Supreme Court leaves California foie gras ban intact | Reuters

(Reuters) - In a victory for animal rights activists, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed California to continue to ban foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn.
Rejecting a legal challenge to the state law, the court declined to hear an appeal filed by restaurants and producers of foie gras. In doing so, the high court left intact an August 2013 ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the law.

 

[Midpack]

Foie gras was banned in Chicago in 2006, overturned in 2008 IIRC. Before I knew how it was produced, I had it once or twice in high end restaurants (so presumably quality foie) and didn't care for it at all. So I wouldn't order it for two reasons, cruelty being the second...YMMV

 

[timo2]

... So I wouldn't order it for two reasons, cruelty being the second...YMMV

Here is a third reason to avoid it: health

Foie Gras, for 2 oz, has 250 cal, 220 cal from fat, 24g of fat, 7g of sat fat, 210mg of cholesterol, 410mg of sodium

 

[RHLnFLA]

Life expectancy 2014:

France Ranked 14th 81.50 years

US Ranked 53rd 78.75 years

Health? Do the math! Maybe everyone should eat more fois gras

 

[MRG]

Life expectancy 2014:

France Ranked 14th 81.50 years

US Ranked 53rd 78.75 years

Health? Do the math! Maybe everyone should eat more fois gras

It's not about the humans health.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[robnplunder]

Life expectancy 2014:

France Ranked 14th 81.50 years

US Ranked 53rd 78.75 years

Health? Do the math! Maybe everyone should eat more fois gras

It's the wine, I am sure .

I am with others on forgoing Foie Gras. Pain is bad whether it is applied to humans or animals. Death is worse but I can't for the life of me become a vegetarian.

 

[NW-Bound]

Foie gras means "fatty liver" in French. The product is produced by force-feeding corn to ducks and geese to enlarge their livers, which are harvested to make gourmet dishes. Animal rights groups contend that the force-feeding process is painful, gruesome and inhumane.

I like liver, beef or goose. And it does not have to be "foie gras". In fact I have had only "foie pas gras", and liked it. Less expensive too.

 

[Lucantes]

I like it and have no problem eating it.

 

[2B]

I see the ruling as the first step of the radical vegans to outlaw all animal products. Then, we can worry about the angst and pain the carrot feels when yanked out of ground, scrubbed vigorously and chopped into slices.

 

[Totoro]

You can eat non-cruel foie gras:
Official Site of La Patería de Sousa - Products

Geese tend to gorge naturally when given the opportunity.

So you can remove the guilt and enjoy foie gras, if so inclined.

 

[audreyh1]

We watched a a Rick Steve's episode where the geese happily waddled up to the feeding tube, and then waddled off, and spent most of the day browsing in fields like open range birds. So it's a little hard to see it as force feeding, although I'm sure there are some factories with caged animals where it is.

 

[harley]

Here is a third reason to avoid it: health

Foie Gras, for 2 oz, has 250 cal, 220 cal from fat, 24g of fat, 7g of sat fat, 210mg of cholesterol, 410mg of sodium

If you are implying that because it's high fat, I beg to differ as far as it being unhealthy. For that matter, ranch dressing has more calories per ounce than that. As long as you don't eat it on a cracker, it's probably not bad at all.

I see the ruling as the first step of the radical vegans to outlaw all animal products. Then, we can worry about the angst and pain the carrot feels when yanked out of ground, scrubbed vigorously and chopped into slices.

It's not just animal products, and not just California. Peanut butter substitutes too sticky for school officials - Newfoundland & Labrador - CBC News

 

[NW-Bound]

... happily waddled up to the feeding tube, and then waddled off, and spent most of the day browsing...

Hey, I have seen people do that to themselves.

 

[FIREd]

As far as I know, the law in California only prohibits the production and sale of foie gras in the state. But foie gras is not outlawed in California. It is not illegal to import it from outside of California for your own consumption.

 

[2B]

As far as I know, the law in California only prohibits the production and sale of foie gras in the state. But foie gras is not outlawed in California. It is not illegal to import it from outside of California for your own consumption.

I think you are not correct. I remember seeing an article about top end restaurants being upset that they won't be able to serve foie gras. I wasn't interested enough in it though to look it up on the internet. Please feel free to do so and set me in my place.

This is similar to the other animal welfare law California passed. Eggs sold in California will now have to be laid by chickens with a minimum sized cage that is safely larger than in current use. This applies to any egg sold in the state so out of state providers are required to meet this standard to sell their eggs in California. Wholesalers have to obtain this certification before they buy eggs for distribution in the state.

This law is currently in the federal court system. It's a first for one state to dictate to industries outside their state. Personally, I'd let California have an egg shortage. The suppliers that put in the larger cages will have to eat a pretty high capital cost and probably reduce their total egg production. They will also be at a competitive disadvantage in selling to any state besides California.

This is a continuation of California being "special." They have a specific gasoline blend to be sold there which is not sold in any other state. Only a few refineries outside California have been set up to produce this blend. This means any upset in gasoline production can't be made up and a price spike results. Of course, this just reinforces the belief that the oil companies are gouging the California public.

As California continues to [-]attack[/-] improve its refineries, they are becoming less economical to operate. I believe most refineries in California are actively on the market. The big oil companies are fleeing as fast as they can.

 

[FIREd]

I think you are not correct. I remember seeing an article about top end restaurants being upset that they won't be able to serve foie gras.

Right. As I wrote earlier, you can't produce it here or sell it in California stores or restaurants no matter where it was produced. But if I want to bring some back from say New York for my own personal consumption, I don't think that I would be breaking the law. Possession and consumption are not illegal as far as I know.

 

[hausfrau]

I've only had foie gras once, but I loved it. It was so delicious and one of the most memorable things I've eaten.

I like liver though in most forms: pates, braunschweiger, liverwurst, beef liver, chicken liver, etc.

 

[manerac]

This is similar to the other animal welfare law California passed. Eggs sold in California will now have to be laid by chickens with a minimum sized cage that is safely larger than in current use. This applies to any egg sold in the state so out of state providers are required to meet this standard to sell their eggs in California. Wholesalers have to obtain this certification before they buy eggs for distribution in the state.

This law is currently in the federal court system.

The lawsuit brought by egg-producing states was dismissed this week. So egg prices will no doubt go up for Californians. But will producers in other states invest $100's of millions to upgrade to CA spec's and pass the cost on to everyone, or will they pull out of CA causing supply to rise and price to fall in other states? I care less about the price of eggs than the precedent of any state, and that state in particular, using the courts to impose its whims on the country.

 

[2B]

The lawsuit brought by egg-producing states was dismissed this week. .

An appeal is certainly possible. The problem for the egg producers is that any costs they incur in meeting the California law won't be required by the other states. I suspect that there will be enough producers that drop out of the California market or those that never were in it to crush the California compliant egg producers trying to sell outside California.

I suspect that the people that do an overwhelming volume of their business with California are already making plans to convert. The ones that only occasionally sell to California won't. California can look forward to periodic egg price spikes.

Of course, I defy anyone to look at an egg and tell me how many square inches the cage was that held the chicken that laid it. I wouldn't be surprised if some producers convert a small amount of their cages to the California standard and leave the rest alone. They may even not intend to do what I think will eventually happen.

 

[M Paquette]

The lawsuit brought by egg-producing states was dismissed this week. So egg prices will no doubt go up for Californians. But will producers in other states invest $100's of millions to upgrade to CA spec's and pass the cost on to everyone, or will they pull out of CA causing supply to rise and price to fall in other states? I care less about the price of eggs than the precedent of any state, and that state in particular, using the courts to impose its whims on the country.

Given California's agricultural production level, and the way the bulk of imported eggs are used, I don't expect to see a change in the retail shelf price of eggs within California. The price of some pet food may rise slightly.

(California is a net exporter of ag products, as well as refined oil products and technology goodies.)

 

[photoguy]

The lawsuit brought by egg-producing states was dismissed this week. So egg prices will no doubt go up for Californians. But will producers in other states invest $100's of millions to upgrade to CA spec's and pass the cost on to everyone, or will they pull out of CA causing supply to rise and price to fall in other states? I care less about the price of eggs than the precedent of any state, and that state in particular, using the courts to impose its whims on the country.

I'm not sure why this is a problem. If CA wants different standards for eggs sold in their state, everyone else is free to adjust or not.

Of course, I defy anyone to look at an egg and tell me how many square inches the cage was that held the chicken that laid it.

I know nothing about chicken farming but my nephew grew 150 chickens as part of FFA this summer. I think he said in industrial farming each chicken is allocated 1 sq ft (they are kept in a big pen). For his project he gave each chicken a *supergenerous* 2 sq/ft. However even at 2 sq/ft a few of his chickens were bullied and had bald spots on the back of their heads from other chickens pecking at them.

 

[2B]

I'm not sure why this is a problem. If CA wants different standards for eggs sold in their state, everyone else is free to adjust or not.

California is regulating interstate commerce. It is true that if the federal courts allow this to happen it becomes an individual decision as to whether to sell into the California market.

I know nothing about chicken farming but my nephew grew 150 chickens as part of FFA this summer. I think he said in industrial farming each chicken is allocated 1 sq ft (they are kept in a big pen). For his project he gave each chicken a *supergenerous* 2 sq/ft. However even at 2 sq/ft a few of his chickens were bullied and had bald spots on the back of their heads from other chickens pecking at them.

Real people that keep chickens do it the way your nephew did it. Commercially, chickens are kept in individual cages to prevent the situation you mentioned. The current size of cages don't give the chicken much room to do anything but eat and lay eggs.

 

[NW-Bound]

While I am a carnivore, I am willing to pay a bit more to reduce cruelty to animals. The question is where to draw the line, and I am not an expert in animal farming.

So, I do not how to take side.

 

[marko]

Here is a third reason to avoid it: health

Foie Gras, for 2 oz, has 250 cal, 220 cal from fat, 24g of fat, 7g of sat fat, 210mg of cholesterol, 410mg of sodium

Yes, but wash it down with a nice red wine and it all gets cancelled out.

 

[photoguy]

California is regulating interstate commerce. It is true that if the federal courts allow this to happen it becomes an individual decision as to whether to sell into the California market.

Very interesting. I had not thought that putting requirements on products sold within your own state would count as regulating interstate commerce.