Paris 2024 Olympics to serve foie gras, banned in lots of international locations

Throughout the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Video games, foie gras, thought-about a French delicacy, can be on the menu. Foie gras consists of the fattened liver of a duck or goose.

The manufacturing of foie gras includes a observe often called gavage, the place geese or geese are force-fed to enlarge their livers. 

Throughout this course of, meals is forcibly delivered into the animals’ stomachs utilizing a tube, main them to devour extra meals than they’d naturally, both within the wild or in home settings. The feed, usually corn boiled with fats, results in important fats buildup within the liver.

This force-feeding methodology, considered as merciless by many, has led a number of countries to ban foie gras because of animal welfare considerations. Amongst these are India, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, and Turkey.

Regardless of these worldwide bans, France continues to supply and devour foie gras, with the Paris Olympics organizers selecting to characteristic this dish on its menu.

Foie gras cruelty-free options

The foie gras menu announcement comes following efforts by the Paris 2024 organizers to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility. The selection to incorporate foie gras contrasts with these objectives, given the moral debates surrounding its manufacturing. 

Notably, in 2021, the mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, banned foie gras at official occasions to protest animal cruelty.

In response to those animal cruelty considerations, options to conventional foie gras are rising in France. Notable examples embody Michelin-starred French chef Alexis Gauthier’s vegan foie gras, constructed from mushrooms and walnuts. And the French firm Gourmey raised $10 million to develop foie gras from cultured duck cells in a laboratory.