Sir Roger Moore takes foie gras battle to Selfridges

Actor News - 14-09-09

It divides people more than marmite – foie gras. This pate-like delicacy is produced by the force feeding of ducks and geese and although widely condemned it’s also widely consumed. Not only in it’s heartland of France but in many other countries too.

The campaign to stop its sale is gathering growing support not least from some celebrities. This week Sir Roger Moore renewed an attack on one of the countries most prestigious stores for stocking the product.

It’s over 20 years since Roger Moore was James Bond but he’s reactivating his licence to kill. In his sights - foie gras.

Click here to watch the Channel 4 News video with Sir Roger.

His long running campaign began with a graphic video depicting the treatment of ducks and geese who are being force fed.

In London this week it was clear that his condemnation of how the food is produced is more bitter than ever.

Moore explained “every three or four hours they come with this big pipe and they force feed the duck or the goose and they shove this thing, they break the beaks, they pierce the collar, the neck of the bird and this is corn mash they feed so that the liver swells and it’s called foie gras which means fatty liver which is a diseased liver which strikes me that the idea of eating something that is diseased is absolutely ridiculous but when you think of the way that it’s produced – it’s vile.”

Like hundreds of other outlets Selfridges, one of the oldest department stores in Britain, sells foie gras. Its argument – it’s customers expect the best. But that doesn’t impress Moore and he’s written to the chairman to tell him so.

Moore said “I wrote to Westin two and a half months and I said I would be very happy to buy his existing stock of foie gras if he were too give me the undertaking that they wouldn’t re-stock. There’s been no response whatsoever to that. I presume maybe he can’t afford the stamps.”

Selfridges said it hasn’t replied owing to an administrative error and that it now will. But the letter heading his way won’t please Roger Moore because the store says it plans to keep selling the product.

In a statement, Selfridges said that there’s huge public demand for foie gras which peaks in the months leading up to Christmas. They went on to say foie gras is a real treat for foodies.

The manufacture of foie gras is illegal in Britain but trade rules mean the government can’t ban the sale of foie gras but with none of the three main parties saying they will fight to get a ban even Britain’s most famous spy may not be enough to force a change in the law.

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