James Bond star claims foie gras victory over Dubai store

James Bond movie star Sir Roger Moore has claimed victory in his campaign against British retailer Fortnum & Mason's plans to sell foie gras at its store in Dubai, with the luxury British department store scrapping plans to sell the controversial product when it opens later this month.

The veteran British actor had led a campaign by Persons for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) against the high-end retailer for its sale of foie gras – the liver of goose or duck that have been specially fed in a process PETA says causes “unbearable pain” for the birds. In reaction to his call for Dubai consumers to boycott the store, the retailer has now scrapped plans to sell the controversial food product.

The three-storey Dubai store near the Burj Khalifa – the brand’s first outside the UK –  is due to open this month, in partnership with Middle East conglomerate Al Khayyat Investments, which also has other brands under its belt, including Burger Fuel.

The move to remove foie gras off the menu comes after Moore released an ad in Arabic calling for a boycott of the new store until it stops selling the product.

"Fortnum & Mason's decision not to sell foie gras in Dubai represents a significant step in getting this 'torture in a tin' out of all its stores," Moore said in a statement issued through PETA.

"The company is tacitly acknowledging that this vile victual has no place in its future plans, and the next logical step would be for Fortnum to make this a companywide policy."

Last week, PETA spokeswoman Ashley Fruno told Arabian Business: “Compassionate people in Dubai will be appalled to learn that Fortnum & Mason sells foie gras, and until the store agrees to stop selling this cruel product, we encourage everyone to shop elsewhere.”

“[The birds are] crammed into tiny pens or individual cages fouled with faeces and blood and often develop skeletal disorders and respiratory problems as a result.

“Pipes are shoved down their throats several times a day to force up to 2kgs of grain, maize and fat into their stomachs.

“In human terms, that is the equivalent of roughly 20kgs of pasta. The pipes sometimes puncture the birds' throats, causing them unbearable pain and making it impossible to drink.

“Pumps used to force food into the birds' stomachs can cause severe tissue damage and internal bleeding. This painful overfeeding process can even cause the birds' internal organs to rupture.

“Those who survive the forced-feedings suffer intensely as their livers swell to up to 10 times their normal size. After several weeks of this torture, the birds are slaughtered and their livers are sold as foie gras.”

This is said to not meet requirements of Islamic law which states that animals must not be under stress or in discomfort before slaughter, and that they must not be diseased, mutilated or deformed.