Foie gras (French for "fatty liver") is commonly served as a pricy pâté in French and upscale restaurants. It is produced by jamming a pipe attached to an electric motor down the throats of ducks and geese and force-feeding them a pound of food. The animals are typically force-fed like this three times a day for about four weeks before being slaughtered when they're only a few months old. Their livers become diseased with hepatic lipidosis and expand to 10 times their healthy size. The process for producing foie gras has essentially remained the same over the last 4,500 years, as shown by illustrations from ancient Egypt that depict the force-feeding of waterfowl.

Across the globe, foie gras has been opposed in pretty much every way imaginable. It's been banned in California and more than a dozen countries, including Israel, formerly the world's third-leading foie gras producer. Foie gras has been condemned by many important religious figures, including Pope Benedict XVI, and famous chefs like Charlie Trotter of Chicago's legendary Charlie Trotter's restaurant. A Zogby International poll in 2004 found that 77 percent of Americans think foie gras production should be banned.

Local restaurants have not ignored the trend against this delicacy of despair. Since 2004, Pittsburgh-based Voices for Animals (VFA) has persuaded many restaurants to stop selling this gourmet cruelty. Some, like Bona Terra and Le Pommier, stopped selling foie gras seemingly because they recognized that it was inhumane. Others, such as Baum Vivant and Bikki, apparently just didn't want to incur the wrath of protesters and customers, who started complaining about foie gras sales even before VFA's campaign started. Either way, all of those restaurants expressed that serving foie gras is bad business.

When I interviewed executives from several Pittsburgh-area restaurants last year, some said they'd rather find a humane supplier of foie gras than completely end foie gras sales. However, the issue is pretty black and white regarding animal suffering. California's 2004 law banning the sale and production of foie gras will take effect in 2012 unless a humane production method can be found. Apparently, there is no such thing when it comes to force-feeding animals to make them unbearably uncomfortable and diseased, because the impending ban seems absolutely certain. Mark Towers, restaurant manager of Sharpsburg-based Bona Terra, said it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find "non-force-fed" foie gras.

"Everyone's trying to do that because of the Voices for Animals campaign that's going on," Towers explained. Towers cited Bona Terra's communication with VFA as the restaurant's reason to stop selling foie gras.

Bona Terra and other restaurants that have decided to stop selling foie gras should be commended. They recognize that they shouldn't promote cruelty to animals for the sake of a gourmet appetizer. In other words, one could say, they have an ethical conscience.

Shortly after VFA started its campaign two years ago, Big Burrito—the parent company of Mad Mex, Eleven, Soba, Casbah, and Kaya—agreed to pull foie gras from the menu at its restaurants. Big Burrito corporate chef Bill Fuller, who declined comment when contacted for this article, made the decision after meeting with VFA members and watching video footage about foie gras from GourmetCruelty.com.

"Fuller said the move was made partly because the foie gras is not a popular item and partly because… he wants to further investigate the production methods utilized by Big Burrito's suppliers," reported The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

But then, seemingly out of nowhere earlier this year, foie gras could be found at Eleven, Soba, and Casbah, and was on Big Burrito's catering menu. It's as though the restaurant chain's ethical commitment had simply disappeared. In response to Big Burrito's going back on its word, VFA activists held simultaneous demonstrations outside five Big Burrito restaurants and even protested outside Kaya's monthly "Vegetarian Dinner." Unsurprisingly, virtually all customers at the latter event were receptive to VFA members and were appalled by Big Burrito's foie gras sales; many took literature from VFA and vowed to voice their concerns to the company.

Like Bona Terra, Big Burrito's original move to stop selling foie gras seemed logical and kind. The devious dish was not essential for Big Burrito's bottom line, and it made sense to please a customer base that is largely concerned about humane issues. Fuller opposed foie gras production upon learning what it entailed, and he seemed to indicate that he would investigate the matter and not serve foie gras unless he could find a humane producer.

It's doubtful that Big Burrito has found a humane means of foie gras production when other restaurants and the state of California, among other parties, have turned up nothing in their search.

Restaurant-goers should not stand for Big Burrito's decision to serve a product obtained inhumanely—or the company's retraction of a promise without any explanation. Whether it means writing to the company or boycotting everything Big Burrito, from Mad Mex's margaritas to Eleven's fine dining, we should all take a stand against cruelty to animals.

Michael Croland graduated from Carnegie Mellon in May 2005 with a BA in professional writing and a minor in religious studies after serving as president of CMU Voices for Animals. He runs the blog http://heebnvegan.blogspot.com, which features commentary about animal protection issues.

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