Mar 30, 2007 8:35 am US/Central
Chicago Hits Hot Dog Seller With Foie Gras Fine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Chicago issued its first foie gras fine to a hot dog seller of all people, accusing "Hot Doug's" of violating a city ban by lacing its specialty dogs with the duck liver delicacy, reports CBS station WBBM-TV in Chicago.
Doug Sohn, who runs Hot Doug's "The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium," plead guilty and agreed to pay $250 Thursday for the first-time offense.
Sohn had been openly serving foie gras-laced hot dogs since the ordinance took effect in August. He says he knew about the rule - when he got a warning letter from the city, he had it framed and placed on his counter.
He could have faced up to a $500 dollar fine under the ordinance, Health Department spokesman Tim Hadac said.
The Chicago Health Department could be called in to stop the serving of foie gras at Hot Doug's for a second time, but only if another complaint is issued.
Animal rights activists oppose serving foie gras, saying it is inhumane the way geese and ducks are force-fed through a pipe to plump up their livers. They have been pressing other cities, states and chefs for similar bans. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck announced earlier this month that his restaurants would stop serving foie gras.
Last year, Chicago aldermen passed a ban on foie gras ban due to the inhumane way the dish is produced -- geese and ducks are force-fed to plump up their livers.
The Chicago City Council had approved the ordinance despite Mayor Richard M. Daley's objections. He called it the "silliest" ordinance they had ever passed.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
