Gourmet foods that will ruin every animal lover's appetite

Whenever fashion develops a conscience, pelt and fur are the usual victims. Or at least the first suspects on the scene of the crime. So who can blame British actress and singer Jane Birkin, who has lent her name to the coveted Hermès namesake handbag for 31 years, to request the luxury retailer remove her name from the iconic bag?

Apparently, the sudden stab of scruples was a direct reaction to a video released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals-more popularly known as PETA - featuring the horrific slaughtering practices of crocodile farms from Texas to Zimbabwe, that allegedly supply the skins for the Birkin bag.

Of course the bag is also available in ostrich, lizard and calf leather versions, but it is the Birkin Croco that the actress wants the luxury house to debaptise "until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place," she said in a press statement. According to Peta, it takes two or three crocodiles to make one of the coveted Birkins.

More ambition than object of desire, the Birkin, remains one of the most sought-after slices of luxury retail. With prices that range well into the $100,000s, and a wait list that stretches into years, the A-list cult following counts Victoria Beckham as one of its most fanatic fans with a 100-strong Birkin collection.

But it's not just leather, fur too that has its fair share of raised hackles, though the recent Paris fashion week seemed oblivious to the furore. With an almost all-fur couture catwalk by Italian brand Fendi; a trend that seemed reflective of Ralph & Russo, Elie Saab, Dior and Serkan Cura, among others. Since much of the fashion fur is sourced from China, there are concerns about its origins. Apart from horrific conditions where the animals are kept, they are often skinned alive. Furthermore, it's alleged that even stray dogs and cats (or even missing pets in some cases ) often end up as fur trim on garments coming from Asian suppliers. China is the world's largest exporter of fur and animals such as, foxes, dogs, rabbits, cats and minks are brutally and inhumanely slaughtered to serve the cause of fashion.

Leather, fur and feathers may be the more fashionable end of the cruelty spectrum, but there are some gourmet foods too that fall short on compassionate grounds.

Here are the top three.

Foie gras

This is a delicacy made out of duck or goose liver and is banned in Turkey, the European Union, and Israel due to a process called force-feeding.

In order to make foie gras, birds are force-fed corn mash or some other type of food about 8 days before they are slaughtered in order to enlarge the liver and give it the fatty consistency that makes for the buttery deliciousness. Since the birds are not used to eating this food in the wild, its body is not accustomed to the quantity or the type fed. In 2005 foie gras was banned in Chicago, but the ban was lifted in 2008. Many states within the U.S. have attempted to have foie gras banned, but none have succeeded as of yet. It's legal to serve it in California but the production is banned.

Shark Fin

Shark fins are often used in shark fin soup which is considered a luxury meal in most Asian countries (China, Hong Kong, Singapore). Conventional wisdom states: "If you are going to eat rarefied Chinese food, one must eat at least one course of shark fin."

Although, it is still to be at the receiving end of a world-wide ban, the slicing of shark fins is now banned in Scottish waters, as well as UK waters. In Hawaii, the practice is banned entirely due to the fact that 60,000 sharks turned up dead each year. The practice, often seen as barbaric, has been banned in countries because it is seen as cruel and brutal and many species of rare sharks are becoming endangered, or even extinct.

Ortolan

This endangered bird is a hallmark of traditional French haute cuisine. While killing and selling the bird, a member of the bunting family, has been banned in France since the late 1990s, the ban was not strictly enforced until 2007. However four French chefs, including the dazzling Alain Ducasse with his 18 Michelin stars, have called for a partial reversal of the ban on the killing and selling of ortolans since it "undermines centuries of tradition, customs, and promotes a black market with exorbitant prices".

A single ortolan bird is no bigger than a baby's fist and weighs less than an ounce, but they can be sold for as much as £100 on the black market.

But the rarity of the bird is not just why killing it is so controversial; it is the method in which it is done. Hunters catch the birds using traps during their migratory season. They are then kept in covered cages, encouraging them to gorge on grain in order to double their size. It is believed that Roman Emperors stabbed out the eyes of the ortolans in order to make the birds think it was night, making them eat even more. the birds are then thrown alive into a vat of Armagnac to both drown as well as marinade the bird at the same time. The birds are cooked for eight minutes and served with their heads still attached.

They are served with napkins placed over the diner's head to trap the aroma of the dish. The ortolan is then popped in its entirety into the diner's mouth to be eaten up-head, bones and skin.