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Is it true that Foie gras is produced by force-feeding a duck or goose with corn and grains?
Dear Editor,
Is it true that Foie gras is produced by force-feeding a duck or goose with corn and grains?
The technique is called "gavage", and yes, it is a process wherein a particular breed of ducks or geese are subjected to in order to fatten their liver - about 12 times its normal size. It is a perfectly legal practice in France but highly controversial in other countries that also produce Foie gras. Records show that the technique was first used 2500 years ago, in Egypt when migratory birds were subjected to the same process except that the Egyptians did not only consume the liver, but the whole fowl.
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