IDA In Defense of
Animals
August 2010
Compassionate decision follows discussions with In Defense of Animals about the cruelty inherent in foie gras production.
In Defense of Animals (IDA) today congratulated the luxurious Beverly Hills Avalon Hotel for their compassionate decision to remove foie gras from their menu. The Avalon Hotel joins Spago as the second Beverly Hills establishment to remove foie gras.
“Foie gras production universally ranks as one of the cruelest forms of animal agriculture,” said Hope Bohanec, IDA Grassroots Campaigns Director. “We thank the Avalon Hotel for joining the ranks of world-renowned chefs like Wolfgang Puck in denouncing foie gras and refusing to serve cruelty.”
Executive Chef Mirko Paderno and Avalon Hotel Food and Beverage Director Peter Carrillo made the decision to remove foie gras following discussions with IDA, and faxed a pledge to IDA on August 3. That fax, signed by Mr. Carrillo, states “We pledge not to serve foie gras, because we oppose the inhumane and traumatic practice of force-feeding that is used to produce foie gras.”
Foie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese through metal pipes inserted down their throats, swelling the animals’ livers five to ten times their normal size. Dr. Ward Stone, the former senior wildlife pathologist for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, has conducted necropsies on ducks who died during force-feeding and writes, “The short tortured lives of ducks raised for foie gras is well outside the norm of farm practice. Having seen the pathology that occurs from foie gras production, I strongly recommend that this process be outlawed.”
The production and sale of foie gras will be banned throughout California by statute effective July 1, 2012. Foie gras is already banned in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Holland, Italy, Israel, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
In Defense of Animals leads a nationwide campaign to convince restaurants to remove foie gras from their menus.
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