THE GURGLING COD: Lobster Bitch

Whole Foods bans lobster.
Cod calls "bullshit."The suffering WF seems to mind is that of their shoppers. You can read the WF edict here, but it is very hard for me to take it seriously. The question is not suffering or killing, which comes with the meat territory, but location. As Abraham asks God, "where you want this killing done?" In the case of lobsters, the answer is "not where the customer can see." The inherent difference between eating lobsters and eating other kinds of animals is that customers have to intervene earlier in the supply chain than they are accustomed to. The jury seems to be out on the degree of sentience lobsters possess, but like the recent Chicago foie gras ban, this seems like an ethical smokescreen. After all, even those Bell & Evans chickens don't exactly throw on From a Basement on the Hill and take too many barbiturates to make the transition from clucking around a barnyard to hanging around the butcher case at WF. From here, it looks like a chapter in WF's ongoing effort to shape concepts of ethical eating to fit the contours of their brand. Not to mention this--here is still plenty of time, but this is an early contender for Most Preposterous Statement in a Press Release for 2006.

"We are pleased to find high quality frozen lobster products from a vendor partner who places as much value on sustainability and respect for the well-being of the lobsters as we do," said David Pilat, national seafood coordinator for Whole Foods Market. "We believe our shoppers who enjoy lobster will find these frozen lobster products offer the same delicious flavor and the myriad of culinary options of fresh lobster but with much more ease of preparation."

Better yet, chill some sparkling domestic, and serve your sweetie Krab for your anniversary. Let me know how the evening goes. I encourage you to hurry to your local grocer or fishmonger, and bring home a brace of lobsters, throw them in a pot, and serve them forth to your fellow vertebrates.

Comments

Lobster Bitch ... prolly the best post title in the history of the internet. Great write up, you've got me hankerin' for some butter dipped lobster crazed. Makes you long for the Barking Crab, dunnit?

Posted by: Uncle Grambo | Tuesday, 20 June 2006 at 12:56 AM

Great post...We don't have Whole Foods here in Aus but it looks like they have pissed quite a lot of people off with this move. I just read a similar post from Accidental Hedonist.
Quite interesting this whole lobster debarcle

Posted by: jenjen | Wednesday, 21 June 2006 at 01:40 PM

Only thing better than a live crustacean is a crustacean killt presently till crimson, so s/he can get the endoscopic view of my gullet on his or her way down. Mmm, lobster.

P.S. Am buying softshell crabbies this very evening. So damn good on the grill.

Posted by: BK | Thursday, 22 June 2006 at 03:42 PM

Hey again...
Once again we're on the same wavelength. Much easier for the Food McCarthyites to take on three foie gras farmers than the Beef Industry. I've been to cattle farms they are not lulled to sleep with a xanex and a scotch...WF did the genuflect of the century on the lobster thing, IMO.

Did you see my Epic Battle? Thought sure you'd comment on that one, GC.

Jacqueline Church AKA The Leather District Gourmet

http://leatherdistrictgourmet.blogspot.com

Posted by: Jacqueline | Friday, 22 September 2006 at 11:32 PM