The biggest story of the day was the news that convenience store chain Family Mart, which has previously been featured here for its controversially delicious cheese nugget, is to cancel sales of the new foie gras bento [Japanese lunch box] after consumers had complained that it was a “cruel food”.
But netizens disagree, with many arguing that all food is cruel, and foie gras is no different from the beef used in Japanese fast food restaurants such as Matsuya.
Would you eat a bento that contained foie gras?
From 47 News.jp:
Sales Of Family Mart’s Foie Gras Bento Canceled; Pointed Out That It Was “Cruel”
On January 24, convenience store chain Family Mart announced that sales of their “Family Mart Premium Black-Haired Wagyu Hamburger Bento With Foie Gras Pate”, due to go on sale on January 28, had been cancelled. This was apparently due to indications from consumers that foie gras is a “cruel food”.
Foie gras is an ingredient used in French cookery made from the liver of a goose or duck that has been force fed large amounts of food to create a fatty liver.
Family Mart stated that “We decided that it would go on sale because we thought it was a food that was generally acceptable. We apologise sincerely for anyone who was upset by this” (PR department representative).
Comments from Twitter:
NOB:
I went for my doctor’s check-up. He said I was foie gras.
きりしまにしぐち[会社拘束ちう]:
I feel like recently, even in Japan, the number of complainers from “animal protection groups” have risen. I’d like to hear the opinion of the West on this article, where people perceive this as their pure food culture.
ベーター:
As long as it’s not pointless production pf food that’s just going to be thrown away or cannibalism, then I think it’s complete nonsense to push your own food values onto others.
NATA@半生半死:
Thing is, humans survive by killing animals, eating them, and getting nutrition from them. Gosh, I mean, if you have a problem with the way we get food, then you’d end up not being able to eat anything. There are too many people who just want to make a fuss.
k－yama:
This kind of thing makes me feel uncomfortable.
Kazunari:
They say it’s cruel…But is it really all that different from Matsuya beef and stuff like that?
あっちゃん:
Is there such a thing as food that isn’t cruel? Don’t they know how cows and pigs are slaughtered?
ひら々:
Go and eat the mist
shibata:
The people who complained about it won’t eat it, so seems to me that they’re not even consumers, but in the end, to eat is to be given life, so even though it’s cruel, it’s OK if you’re thankful for the food.
遊底(ゆうてい):
A cruel food? Oh, so the people who complained don’t eat meat and fish? These complains are definitely in the realm of a mistaken love for animals, it’s weird.
Comments from 2ch.net:
頭突き(北海道):
工エエェェ(´д｀)ェェエエ工
超竜ボム(大阪府):
We can’t eat anything anymore.
魔神風車固め(大阪府):
What the hell do the people who complained eat?
垂直落下式DDT(チベット自治区):
Well if that’s cruel, then all meat is cruel.
ジャンピングエルボーアタック(東京都):
The hamburger itself is cruel.
ツームストンパイルドライバー(catv?):
They think we shouldn’t even eat eggs.
ラ ケブラーダ(関東・甲信越):
This what vegetarians say.
I mean, some of my friends are vegetarians, but they always tell me stuff like this.
エルボードロップ(兵庫県):
If they saw how foie gras was made then a lot of people wouldn’t like it.
Because they’re not allowed to eat freely, they get food forced into them.
ハーフネルソンスープレックス(沖縄県):
Life is cruel, if you don’t like it go hang yourself.
マシンガンチョップ(家):
It’s only recently that they’ve started to stop doing thinks because of a few complaints.
Just ignore them, there’s no product on earth that everyone is gonna like.
It’s only going to increase the number of people who complain.
レッドインク(dion軍):
Japan has become a mecca for complainers w
エルボーバット(三重県):
Those bastards who reckon that foie gras is cruel, do they just drink nothing but water?
張り手(栃木県):
If that’s cruel, then what are they going to do about broilers wwwww
