The facts about foie gras won’t upset your stomach

IN response to Gerry Boland’s letter (Dec 8) entitled “Scandalous food practice turns my stomach“, while I do not want to enter a much-heated debate, usually fanned by extremist animal right campaigners (who are usually also followed by more sensible people), I would nonetheless like to clarify a few points.

Mr Boland seems to ignore a fundamental fact: ducks and geese oesophageal tract and liver working is highly different from humans’ and other mammals’ ones. This is one reason the force-feeding practice is more adapted to these animals than to cattle for example.

And this is a reason why it has been discovered a few thousand years ago in Egypt — this delicacy is nothing new.

Despite all the claims of injuries and stress bandied about, scientific studies have actually found that levels of stress-related hormones in the meat of these animals is no higher than that found in similarly reared non-force-fed poultry, most often free range.

This said, I understand Mr Boland’s concerns and I accept his disgust at things that other people may like. This is perfectly human. I am not forcing (no pun intended) anyone to eat anything they don’t like, so long as they don’t take it away from my mouth if I like it.

By the way, you may have understood that I am part of the people that eat this delicacy.

Indeed, with my family I will most likely enjoy some, that was homemade by my mother with good, healthy livers bought from local farmers in the southwest of France.

Jeremie Pageot

Thormanby Road

Howth

Co Dublin