Chef Wolfgang Puck Bans Foie Gras
|
(AP)
Chef Wolfgang Puck tastes one of
the dishes that he's preparing for
the
Daytime Emmy Awards... |
LOS
ANGELES (AP) - Celebrity chef
Wolfgang Puck is cooking up kinder, gentler
menus. As part of a new initiative to
fight animal cruelty, Puck said Thursday
he will no longer serve foie gras, the
fatty liver produced by overfeeding ducks
and geese.
His
14 fine-dining restaurants, more than
80 fast-casual eateries and 43 catering
venues will use only eggs from hens that
have lived cage-free; veal from roaming
calves; and lobsters that have been removed
from their ocean traps quickly to avoid
crowded holding tanks.
Puck
said guests at his restaurants want to
know their food is made with fresh, organic
ingredients and that the animals were
treated well.
"We
want a better standard for living creatures.
It's as simple as that," Puck said.
The move came after three years of protests
by Farm Sanctuary, an animal-rights group
that launched wolfgangpuckcruelty.org
- relabeled Wolfgang Puck Victory as of
Thursday - and organized a leaflet campaign
outside Puck's restaurants.
Puck
worked with the Humane Society of the
United States on the new initiative. He
said he wasn't responding to pressure
from animal welfare advocates, but instead
believes the best-tasting food comes from
animals that have been treated humanely.
"We decided about three months ago
to be really much more socially responsible,"
he said. "We feel the quality of
the food is better, and our conscience
feels better."
Chicken
and turkey meat served at Puck's restaurants
will come from farms that are compliant
with progressive animal welfare standards,
and menus will feature more vegetarian
selections, he said.
The
venues also will only serve certified
sustainable seafood.
Puck's
chefs will continue to kill lobsters by
cutting them in half while they're still
alive, rather than by using stun guns.
And stingray-like skate and Russian caviar,
both of which are on an "avoid"
list compiled by Monterey Bay Aquarium's
Seafood Watch, remain on his menus. His
restaurants include Spago and Wolfgang
Puck Gourmet Express.
The
Humane Society applauded the efforts.
"Wolfgang
Puck's policies send a strong message
to the agribusiness industry that it needs
to start phasing out its most abusive
practices," said Wayne Pacelle, the
group's president and chief executive.
Banning
any food, especially luxury ingredients,
has been a thorny issue for chefs, who
generally defend their right to use whatever
they want.
Still,
as Americans have had eating healthier
food, many chefs at high-end restaurants,
some smaller food-service chains and grocery
chains like Whole Foods have refused to
buy meat and eggs unless animals were
raised under certain conditions.
In
2000, McDonald's became the first major
American food company to impose minimum
animal-welfare standards such as increasing
cage size on its egg producers.
California
has decided to ban the production and
sale of foie gras starting in 2012.
hicago
imposed a ban last year, and bans are
being promoted in Illinois, New Jersey
and New York.