Stance on foie gras sales confirmed
In response to widespread local concern about the sale of foie gras on animal welfare grounds, Bath & North East Somerset Council has given assurances to the Vegetarian International Voice for Animals (Viva!) lobby group about the use of the delicacy on its properties.
Councillor Paul Crossley (Lib-Dem), Leader of Council, has written to the people who presented a petition calling for a sales ban. He said, "Although Bath & North East Somerset Council does not currently sell Foie Gras on its premises, we would like to reassure people we will not be doing so in the future. Much of the industry is simply torture in a tin for the ducks force fed vast quantities of food through a metal tube so that their livers swell up to ten times their natural size. This is cruel, inhumane, and the so-called delicacy has no place in the Council's current or future food sales.
"In relation to our commercial premises which are leased by third party caterers, future leases will contain a sub clause requesting them to ban the sale of foie gras, although we cannot retrospectively enforce a new clause in existing leases."
Justin Kerswell and Megan Lebasci presented the petition of 1,890 signatures urging the Council 'to ban the sale of foie gras from all Council-owned premises and from private businesses and food outlets in the City of Bath and to take a number of other measures to raise awareness of the methods used to produce foie gras.'
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8 Comments
by rogerh3
Friday, December 02 2011, 11:03PM
“everything sejhfkjsdhg has just said is spot on."
Everything sejhfkjsdhg has just said is complete fantasy and could only be written by someone who either didn't read or didn't understand the article.
--”
by DaveF_Walcot
Friday, December 02 2011, 10:33PM
“Note, their leases will "request" but not enforce. So, no change then.”
by Dave_Weston
Friday, December 02 2011, 7:30PM
“I wouldn't personally encourage the production of this stuff by buying it, but this kind of creeping political interference is worrying. If the council doesn't want to serve the stuff in its own premises then fair enough (although that's still politicing for the sake of it), but potentially devaluing a lease on a commercial property by adding restrictions to the lease terms, is entirely another. Its a bit like having an employed "sustainable communities officer" who presumably gets to lecture us on our environmental credentials. In the current climate we can't afford this when basic services like mobile libraries are being shut down and disabled people being charged for their blue badges (not unreasonable policies in themselves if other priorities are higher - which is the case - but ramming politically correct nonsense down our throats is lower still in the pecking order!).”
by rogerh3
Friday, December 02 2011, 7:21PM
“Individuals are free to buy and consume it and B&NES has exercised this right to decide not to buy it itself. What's the problem?”
by GoodReader
Friday, December 02 2011, 4:46PM
“Once again a loony minority group gets it's way. I don't like the way it, foie gras, is produced, but it is down to the individual to decide whether or not to buy or consume it. The council should not bow down to extremist views. I don't agree with aborting healthy babies will the council ban the RUH from carrying out these procedures? What about KFC and the way the low cost chickens are reared should they be banned. I think the inmates are taking over the asylum.”
by joning
Friday, December 02 2011, 4:46PM
“I agree that foie gras is inhumane but everything sejhfkjsdhg has just said is spot on.”
by mcupis
Friday, December 02 2011, 4:42PM
“I don't like foie gras, but I reserve the right to eat what I like, where I like, when I like without being dictated to by other people.”
by Geojay
Friday, December 02 2011, 4:35PM
“That stray apostrophe ("it's Twitter Feed") is beginning to annoy me. Surely a spokesperson should know how to correctly use apostrophes?”
by sejhfkjsdhg
Friday, December 02 2011, 3:31PM
“Is foise gras illegal? No. Is a licence needed to sell it? No. So why is the council taking it on itself to ban its sale. It is not a legitimate role of the council to decide what can and what cannot be on a cafe's menu subject to laws. I don't really like the way cheap chicken is produced. if I get 1,890 signatures can I get Greggs chicken slice banned?”