Chicago Bans Foie Gras

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed)
Apr 28th 2006 at 7:32AM

As Nick reported at Slashfood, the city of Chicago has decided to ban foie gras from being sold by retailers and at restaurants. Any establishment or person who violates the ban will be fined $500, according to the New York Times. The legislature has been considering this ban for some time now in the face of mounting concern over the ethics of force-feeding ducks until their livers reach 10 times the normal size. The ban, adopted by a vote of 48-to-1 will take effect in 90 days, so any Chicago residents should take in their favorite dish at Rick Tramonto's Tru before it goes off the menu.

Tags: ban, chicago, dining, foie gras, FoieGras, food, gourmet, liver, restaurants, retailers

Filed under: Dining

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Reader Comments (Page 5 of 16)

jstmom1 Apr 29th 2006 9:54AM

ISN'T IT SAD WHAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW A CERTAIN FOOD ITEM IS OBTAINED? AS LONG AS THEY CAN SELL IT FOR $$$$---REMEMBER THESE SAME PEOPLE GO SO FAR IN OTHER COUNTRIES TO ACTUALLY SELL ABORTED FETUSES AND EAT THEM AS A DELICACY. ITS DISGUSTING AND SICK SICK SICK WHAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL "THEY HAVE TO EAT". WHAT KIND OF A WORLD IS THIS BECOMING?

Peter Morosco Apr 29th 2006 9:55AM

Talk about a load of crap. Skrew a duck and a goose, Fois Gras is delicious. I am a chef, and that law in chicago is bull, its like proabition. Have the outlawed veal too, just because the poor little calf is is raised in a little box and fed only milk??? NO because the beef industry is too powerful. Chicago should worrie about real crime and unemployment issues that would better the masses. Not fois Gras, or other issues that bored rich white ladys, with nothing else to do care about. I thnik its not rite that thousands of kids everyday sell sexual favors just to eat, do something about that rich bitches!!!!!

Bluedancingfox Apr 29th 2006 9:55AM

I eat my kitten meat on PETA bread

Jay Freeman Apr 29th 2006 9:55AM

Someday with bioengineering we will be able to grow goose livers from a test tube. Then we can enjoy this delicious food without a trace of guilt.

One more point. Birds are giving us Avian Flu. So perhaps eating goose livers is our way of getting revenge.

Jill Apr 29th 2006 9:57AM

I am astounded that the city of
Chicago officials have nothing better to do. What about the poor people that have no food and no where to sleep. Your worried about Geese!

anthony kowalski Apr 29th 2006 9:59AM

oh the poor ducks, the fois gras tastes good, veal tastes good, get over it! i'm glad i live in philadelphia where we don't care about tortured live stock, gotta go now, its fishing season, i'm gonna go get out my biggest ugliest hook and catch some dinner.

Lucille Ball Apr 29th 2006 9:59AM

I agree with the ban on ducks and geese -- they didn't hurt anyone.

Maybe we should make serial killers a delicacy and eat them instead.

Annie Apr 29th 2006 9:59AM

Well I (coming from someone who really hates meat) think this is a very surreal subject to be debating on. I do agree with the person who wrote that basically all animals in captivity that are raised to be slaughtered are treated very poorly. I don't care if these creatures are animals they still deserve or respect. Let me take anyone of your dogs and break there legs so they cant walk (clipping chicken wings) stuff them so full that they nearly explode (geese) and pin up about 20 dogs in about a 10 X 10 pin and see how much you like it. All animals are the same, weather it be a dog or a chicken a cow or a horse. I am not saying avoid meat or that I am a tree hugger I just fell that these animals are going to be consumed by humans already so don't abuse them along the way!

Jeff Apr 29th 2006 10:01AM

I love endangered species. They're delicious!!!!

Fred Apr 29th 2006 10:02AM

For all of you who are outraged on this subject please go hug a goose, duck, pheasant, whatever. Government and local/state/federal legislatures should not waste the taxpayers money on such frivolities. The sponsoring alderman should be run out of town on a rail! What crap!!

Peter Morosco Apr 29th 2006 10:05AM

ETHICS??????? people in government are talking ETHICS???what a joke. Do they even know what the word means???? Dont worry chicago, Im a chef in Naples Fl. And Im Puttin fois Gras on my menu this week and every weekend from now on. So come on down to Encore cafe in Naples for some yummy duck liver!!!!!

Steve Apr 29th 2006 10:05AM

It would seem that if you don't sell Foie Gras you will be safe from prosecution. I see a tremendous opportunity opening up for those who would become micro-farmers. If you want it, do-it-yourself. Buy your geese young and feed them any diet you'd like. If the statute were worded to penalize on the basis of consumption rather than sales, it might do a little more good for the goose but then we would yield a very important right of self determination to a species that lacks the capacity to use it.

Floyd Apr 29th 2006 10:06AM

I'm an off and on vegetarian(currently lacto-ovo). My reasons are this. I don't believe in the killing of most advanced life forms for joy or proffit. Factory farming puts animals in conditions no one would wish on their pets or even worst enemies. Being vegetarian will contribute to a longer, healthier life. And last and most important to me, cutting out meat contributes to me keeping a slim, attractive body.

Dave Apr 29th 2006 10:08AM

Surprised at the 48 to 1 vote, didn't think that there were that many decent politicians left in this country.
Have nothing against eating animals but torturing them to do so I don't agree with.

kirk Apr 29th 2006 10:09AM

Thank god some of you people here are sane , an animal is not HUMAN they are not cute and cuddly just ask the tree hugger in California that voted to stop the mountain lion hunting , a BIG CUDDLY OL LION eat him while he was jogging ha ha ha , P E T A stands for people eating tasty animals , nough said , thanks Kirk

Andreas Knezevic Apr 29th 2006 10:11AM

If you don't like foie gras don't eat it. i love it enjoy it and will continue to eat even if I personally have to shove the corn down their throats. Stay off of my plate!

Bea Apr 29th 2006 10:16AM

Kudos to Chicago and all who live there. I am so happy Chicago is leading the way in legislating compassion, since we Americans obviously refuse to monitor our own behavior.

Moe Apr 29th 2006 10:17AM

Do you really think cattle normally eat corn? They graze on grass. But we feed them corn with other chemicals to "fatten them up quicker". Is this not the same as force feeding ducks? But in the world we are in now if we don't fatten them up quicker then we will have starving people. Some animals that we think of as pets are used as food in other countries not because they want to....it is because they have to or starve.

Waldo Apr 29th 2006 10:20AM

Why is everyone so concerned about some stupid DUCKS when we still have abortion, euthinasia and the death penalty??? Let's worry about cruelty to humans first!