On November 22, vegnews.com reported that King Charles III had issued a foie gras ban at Buckingham Palace and all royal residences due to animal welfare concerns, possibly paving the way for the entry of cruelty-free foie gras made from mycelium.
Photo credit: Roméo
Excerpts from the story:
“King Charles III has officially banned foie gras from menus at royal residences due to cruelty concerns. Typically, the so-called delicacy is made by forcefully feeding ducks or geese until their livers become engorged and fatty.
“The monarch’s decision was confirmed in a letter sent this month by Tony Johnstone-Burt, the Master of King Charles’ household, to the UK arm of animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). ‘I can affirm that neither the Royal Household nor the Royal Residences purchase foie gras, nor are there any plans to amend this policy,’ the letter stated.
“The new King of England has been a vocal advocate for animal welfare and removed foie gras from his royal menus when he was the Prince of Wales. He also aims to maintain two fully meatless days every week to reduce his dietary environmental footprint. Currently, the production—but not the sale or import—of foie gras is banned in the United Kingdom. The foie gras ban is in place at Balmoral, Sandringham, Windsor Castle, Hillsborough Castle, and Buckingham Palace.
“In response to King Charles’ historic foie gras ban, The Better Meat Co co-founder Paul Shapiro sent Buckingham Palace a letter to thank the monarch for the move. The California-based company makes vegan products using Rhiza, a fast-growing, fungi-derived microbe. Instead of force-feeding birds, The Better Meat Co feeds Rhiza a starch such as potatoes—or other upcycled agricultural byproducts—and it then undergoes microbial fermentation to produce a meat-like base that can be used in a variety of applications, including alternatives to beef, chicken, fish, caviar, and, as it turns out, foie gras.” (Anna Starostinetskaya, vegnews.com)
Read the full story here: https://vegnews.com/2022/11/king-charles-bans-foie-gras