The president of the French Association of Foie Cross Producers said he was shocked and outraged that the British government was considering banning product imports.
He called on parliamentarians to go to French foie gras farms to see if ducks and geese are being forced to eat, and to determine for themselves whether it is “cruel and torture”, as animal rights advocates say.
Mary-Pierre Bay, director of Interprofessional des Palmipets à Foie Cross (Sifok), which represents about 3,500 Foie Cross manufacturers, said: “I am shocked and amazed at the fact that there is freedom to sell a completely healthy product as defined under international conferences. Threatened.
“For a country that promotes trade freedom, this is not only paradoxical, it shows a lack of understanding of our production and the complexity of judgments based on the anthropological concepts of animal cruelty used in production.
“Clearly, they do not know how we do our job. Before making this decision, I invite you to meet with a foie gras maker to make a rational decision. We have nothing to hide, we act with full transparency.”
When asked about the most controversial aspect of foie gras production, the long tubes in which food is pumped into the digestive system are pushed under the birds’ throats, causing the liver to swell many times more than its natural size, which Pé enthusiasts say is humanizing – or attributing human traits to animals – Says injured.
“People should stop imagining a tube being inserted in their throat because a duck and a duck’s throat are not like yours. To begin with, the duck’s throat is elastic and there is a bag at the base that allows you to store food – cashiers like our stomach,” he said.
“It simply came to our notice then. Of course, you need to know how to insert the probe, but if done correctly the animal will not be affected and scientific studies have been done on the potential effects of the gauze, so we know. “
“Gavage is done twice a day to respect the digestive rhythms of the animals. We cannot force the digestive cycle because if we do, it will be blocked and you will not get foie gras.
“We can say that there are no accidents from time to time, but it’s exceptional. A farmer does not care about harming his own animals because it kills them – their production.”
A multi-party committee of British MPs has urged ministers to ban the sale of foie gras in the UK. The letter to Environment Secretary George Eustis and Minister of Animal Welfare Lord Goldsmith was co-ordinated by the Animal Equality Campaign.
“In the coming months, thousands of ducks and geese will be subjected to torture for this horrible product,” the letter said.
The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it was “exploring further restrictions” on the flavor following reports that Goldsmith had decided to ban sales in the UK earlier this year, describing it as “unbearable savagery”.
Abigail Penny, managing director of Animal Equality Britain, said: “The foie gras is the definition of cruelty to animals, and people are clearly united in their hatred of this evil product. We can no longer tolerate this. Prohibition does not always happen. “
Opponents of the ban, however, disagree. Richard Gorigan, who runs several restaurants in Mayfair, said a ban would take the UK to a “nanny-state border”, while George Bell, co-owner of El Escort, said there was a contradiction between people who ate industrially developed food and ban food “.
Pé said the legality of producing foie gras has been “examined” several times and found to comply with European food regulations.
“Yes, there were videos with shocking pictures of farms, but those are the exceptions, these farms do not reflect our industry and our industry,” he said. “Our farms are regulated by the authorities and the producers are committed to ensuring the well-being of the animals.”
He added: “I can understand that people do not like foie gras, or do not like to eat animals or products of animal origin, but there is respect for animals in our production. I have no problem mentioning this because I know it to be true.
“I’m angry and sad,” B said. “The British government will certainly not legislate on the basis of unilateral arguments. I personally invite you to come and see for yourself.”
Pé said the foie gras was banned because “the foie gras is France’s gastronomic symbol. I think we have an easy goal. “
“This is a continuing theme and strategy for animal advocacy groups. They create sensational images that affect the economy. ‘Are we being manipulated?’ “
France is the world’s largest manufacturer, consumer and exporter of foie gras. Sifok says French farmers produced 15,000 tonnes of foie gras last year – up from 18,800 tonnes produced in 2019 – mainly in the Pericard region of southwestern France. Up to 5,000 tons are exported annually, with up to 200 tons arriving in the UK each year.
Manufacturers reported 1.2 million new French buyers in 2020, despite coveted restrictions closing winter markets and hitting sales just before the Christmas holidays – a time when foie gras was traditionally consumed. The sector has been affected by the outbreak of bird flu.
“There is no problem with support for our products in France,” he said. “French love Foie Cross, he has extraordinary support,” he added.
