Food Thoughts on eating lobster and foie gras - cruel or not?

#121
To anyone-- read "eating animals". It's a pretty unbiased and non-preachy look at the meat industry etc, including seafood. It's a must read for anyone who eats meat or feeds it to their kids, IMO. I've been a veg most my life but still found it eye opening.

And to answer the main question--have never eaten either and never will.
 
#124
I think the general idea to keep in mind here is that you are eating them (if you are, that is).

Personally, I think that cancels out whether or not something died humanely (although, in this case in particular, I find that to be an oxymoron, as it's being killed to be eaten).

It's still being killed, and then eaten.
 
#126
BadRomance93 said:
I think the general idea to keep in mind here is that you are eating them (if you are, that is).

Personally, I think that cancels out whether or not something died humanely (although, in this case in particular, I find that to be an oxymoron, as it's being killed to be eaten).

It's still being killed, and then eaten.
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I disagree. Because the animal is eaten doesn't cancel out how horribly (and unnecessarily) it was treated, IMO. There are so many other options out there if we take the time to demand them. But I don't want to start a big debate so I'll stop here. :biggrin:
 
#127
I think it's cruel to throw live lobsters into boiling water and to cut them in half while alive. I think the force-feeding used for foie gras is cruel and ridiculous. And a lot of the practices/methods used by meat producers is incredibly cruel as well. IMO.
 
#128
Sometimes I can't handle the thought than I'm eating food that used to be alive, and I often have an especially hard time with meats. I eat a lot of grains and veggies, etc.

But I can't eat seafood anyway, so I guess I can't answer the question properly.
 
#129
I really admire people who are principled enough to stick to being vego/vegan. I am not!
I didn't realise people still boil lobsters alive, everyone I know freezes them first.
OP, you should be able to source more humanely made fois gras.
In Australia I'm pretty sure that importing real French foie gras (ie the cruel kind) is illegal; we produce our own according to animal welfare laws that are frankly more satisfying to me.
As for animals eating other animals, I don't think they keep them for a month and force-feed them with tubes. That said, I have eaten French foie gras before.
 
#131
Eating animal products is cruel. But I love all kinds of foods so I will have as little as I can to be happy and sane , but I generally don't depend entirely on animal products.
You can ask your chef to hit the lobster in the head before cooking him so he will not suffer. It's a dead lobster that will end up in someone's stomach anyway. It'd be better not to kill him in the first place, and have something else.
 
#132
Well, of course once it's dead it's not going to suffer being eaten or digested in anyone's stomach. I think the issue here is how they're treated before they die and how they're killed.
 
#134
I think what has to be done to make foie gras is pretty terrible so I don't eat it. Lobster on the other hand, I enjoy. I don't eat it as much as crab though..because crab is amazing. :drool:
 
#135
I can't eat lobster (or crab) without breaking out into hives, but I do sometime when I get a massive craving or if we go crabbing. I love foie gras and will continue to eat it as long as it is available (or stockpile it if it ever becomes unavailable).

On that note, do I think boiling a lobster or crab alive is cruel? Yes I do, they get freaked out and start dropping legs everywhere and try to claw out.

I have no problem cutting a lobster or crab in half while alive however because it's very quick and in my mind they don't suffer as much.

Do I think it's cruel to force-feed ducks and geese to get their livers fatty? Not any more cruel than how veal is treated. Oddly enough I have seen some footage of foie gras farms where the birds actually line up to get force-fed...... so I don't know whether I can think of it as cruel or not.
 
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