Readers React: The facts and the anti-foie gras fanatics

To the editor: Thanks to Robin Abcarian for her open-minded approach to the recent un-banning of foie gras in California. (“The return of foie gras to California menus offers food for thought,” Jan. 23)

Having seen a gavage in France personally, I can attest that I saw absolutely no fear reaction at all by the ducks or geese that were fed extra corn for a few seconds with a tube. They simply swallowed the corn and waddled off.

With all due respect to food service executive Fedele Bauccio, who likened force feeding to shooting up animals with antibiotics, his is a far fetched analogy.

Kudos to Abcarian for “admitting” to having eaten foie gras recently. I bet she found it delicious.

Alex Palley, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: Without having to “anthropomorphize a duck,” and even if ducks’ airways are not obstructed in the feeding, think of what is going on in the production of foie gras: An animal is being forced to eat food it would never otherwise eat in order to cause the liver to inflame and swell grossly.

Even ignoring all other aspects of the ducks’ lives, foie gras production causes a vital internal organ to become diseased and to fail. Yet chefs and diners act as if it is their right to have this dish of an artificially diseased organ.

Just because people can do something doesn’t mean that they should.

Tim Cortina, Lake Elsinore

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