The Physiology of Foie: Why Foie Gras is Not Unethical

seriouseats.com

16 points·etherael··2 comments

Wow, impressively detailed and photographed article. If you are interested in such things, you should also follow the included link to Dan Barber's TED talk. Here's a version that doesn't automatically launch the video: http://blog.ted.com/2008/11/25/a_surprising_pa/

Also interesting that all the ducks are male. I've seen some recent commentary regarding chickens about how millions of male chicks are put to death since they can't lay eggs and there is no other market for them. Strange that ducks are the inverse. Seems like an opportunity for some enterprising duck egg farmer!

Edit: Oops, just read the section about the Moulard being a sterile hybrid. Maybe not a good plan to breed them. And wow, the comments on that page are truly excellent --- one of the best and most civil discussions on the morality of meat eating that I've seen online.

I didn't actually check the comments but yeah, they're quite interesting too, the part that I found fascinating was the description of the hybrid breeding process and the results with regards to the Moulard adopting the optimal qualities fit for purpose from both genetic strains, as well as the argument against gavage being largely based on ignorance of the anatomy and feeding habits of the ducks.

Also, that TED talk that both the article and yourself references is quite fascinating.

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