Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, Stacy Finz and Paolo Lucchesi report:
More than 100 of California’s best-known chefs have joined forces to fight the nation’s first state law banning the sale of foie gras.
Typical for the Chronicle, this story is heavily slanted in favor of foie gras producers, who get their absurd talking points quoted at length without any direct rebuttal from advocates:
“We’re trying to create a humane market, not a black market,” said Rob Black, the restaurant association’s executive director who is seeking a legislative sponsor to carry a new foie gras bill or amend the old one.
“By repealing the ban and enacting strict new standards, we will send the message to the world that California is the leader in the humane and ethical treatment of animals.”
Strict new standards my ass. Note that this article ignores the recent foie gras investigation carried out in late 2011 by the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL)—this despite the fact that reporter Paolo Lucchesi spoke yesterday with APRL’s Bryan Pease. Here’s that investigation’s video:
Foie gras is down in California but it’s not out. This could be the industry’s last gasp in the state, so it’s crucial for California animal advocates to make one last push to knock the industry out for good. How do you do it? Contact your state senator and assembly members, and let them know you strongly oppose any efforts to rescind the July 1st statewide ban of foie gras. Link.
It’s commonly called meat glue — and it does just that — glues bits and pieces of less desirable meat together, back into one single piece. But while pink slime is simply gross to think about, glued meat that’s not handled properly could make you sick.
American Meat Institute mouthpiece Janet Riley responds:
There’s just no way that gluing chunks of chuck meat together is going to give you filet mignon.
A typically shifty response, which is really the only job requirement for employment at the American Meat Institute. Meat glue may not give you filet mignon, but it could give you something close enough to fool restaurant diners. Notice that Riley doesn’t actually deny the practice. Noyes nicely describes the transformation wrought by meat glue:
Our humble $4 a pound stew meat is now a $25 a pound prime filet…We confirmed this with an industry trade group that meat glue is common where filet mignon is served in bulk—at a restaurant, banquet, cafeteria or hotel.
It’ll be another kick in the beef industry’s ‘nads if ABC’s story goes viral. Please do your part. (Thanks, Venkat.) Link.
In response to the New York Times’ problematic “The Case for Eating Meat” essay contest, the Our Henhouse gals started an essay contest of their own about why it’s unethical to eat meat. They announced the winning entry this morning, written by Alan W. Peck. Peck’s piece doesn’t really make any original points, but perhaps there’s not much new on the subject that can be said. At any rate his piece is short and engaging, and something that could easily inspire an omnivore to reconsider whether it’s ethically acceptable to eat animal products. Link.
An incredible activist and the nicest guy you’ll ever meet.
If you want to help fund Jon’s efforts, sign up for Team Vegan. It’s a fun way to meet other animal advocates, get fit, and raise money that will save countless animals. Link.
This one deserves a Pulitzer. In a lengthy article for Reuters, Duff Wilson and Janet Roberts offer some of the best food politics reporting I’ve ever seen:
At every level of government, the food and beverage industries won fight after fight during the last decade. They have never lost a significant political battle in the United States despite mounting scientific evidence of the role of unhealthy food and children’s marketing in obesity.
And, if you want to see an example of being hopelessly outgunned:
…the Center for Science in the Public Interest, widely regarded as the lead lobbying force for healthier food, spent about $70,000 lobbying last year—roughly what those opposing the stricter guidelines spent every 13 hours, the Reuters analysis showed.
As the developments since the passage of Prop 2 have demonstrated, the big animal agribusiness lobbies are beatable—the big soda and processed food lobbies, not so much. (Thanks, Venkat.) Link.
It’s exciting that, as I write this, the book is ranked #30 on Amazon.com. I bet we can all think of a few omnivores near and dear to us who this book would be perfect for. If it’s good enough for Ellen and Portia, these meals are likely to win over your dad as well.
Anytime you get to Amazon.com by following a Vegan.com link, anything and everything you buy during that visit generates commissions that allow me to keep this site constantly updated.
A really solid piece. It was obviously harder for Ellen to make the switch than it was for most of us. And, as always, she articulates her thoughts about going vegan in a way that maximizes mainstream appeal. Link.
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