As an Occupational Health and Safety Consultant, part of Toni Brockhoven's work involves assisting people with poor eyesight to get the necessary spectacles for clarity of vision. As a sideline, she works tirelessly to help people gain more than 20/20 vision.

She wants them to see that foie gras is one of the cruelest foods on earth. And top restaurants are starting to agree with her!

Foie gras (fatty liver) is obtained by force-feeding geese and ducks through a tube down their throats so that their livers enlarge by up to 10 times normal size. Medically known as hepatic lipidosis, this diseased liver is eaten as the 'delicacy' foie gras. 

Del Jones, manager of the Farm Animal Unit at the NSPCA confirmed that there is at least one producer of foie gras in South Africa, in the North-West Province. Foie gras is also imported.

“It is one of the most sickening examples of human cruelty to obtain a so-called 'luxury',” says Toni. “It's like forcing an animal to smoke enormous quantities of cigarettes and then selling its cancerous, deformed lungs as a delicacy.”

Cape Town's famous 5-star Table Bay Hotel is among those that agree. In a letter to Toni in September 2007, Table Bay Hotel's management stated:

“It would indeed be the correct action to remove this item from the menu. It has been decided that it will be removed from all menus at the Table Bay… - this will include the Atlantic Grill. The Table Bay agrees entirely with the sentiments of your organization.”

Other restaurants or delis that have thus far added their support for the campaign, or removed foie gras from their menus or shelves, include: the Tank restaurant in De Waterkant, Isabella's in Goodwood, Marika's in Camps Bay and the Melissa's Deli chain.

For more information on the cruelty involved in foie gras production, together with a national list of restaurants and deli's that still need to pledge their support, please go to Toni's web site and help by exerting your respectful influence. Go to http://www.sentience.co.za/ and follow the foie gras link.