World News for Students of English

22-07-2021 07:00

Foie gras, a fatty duck or goose liver, is considered by many as one of the most luxurious foods.

In France, its consumption is a ritual deeply rooted in the country’s traditions and culture; however, its decadence makes the brutality of how it’s made even more worse.

A controversial process known as gavage, where birds are force-fed several times a day through metal tubes until their livers swell, is considered savage.

Animal welfare concerns have made more than a dozen countries ban production, and even in France, around three quarters of people say that they’d prefer the delicacy without gavage if they had a choice.

Now a French startup’s making foie gras from duck stem cells harvested from a single fertilized egg. In stainless-steel tanks, the cells are fed nutrients to multiply and eventually form whatever tissue is desired. More than 70 startups globally are working on everything, from pork chops to kangaroo meat in response to environmental and livestock welfare concerns.

Difficult words: decadence (low moral standards and behavior), savage (extremely cruel), welfare (the health, happiness, and prosperity of a person, group, or an animal).

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