Answer: Before we begin discussing the Kashrut of goose liver, we must first give a general overview of the production of this food. The goose is undoubtedly a kosher bird and by default its liver is essentially kosher as well. However, the goose’s liver has no special taste unless it goes through a process of “stuffing,” i.e. force-feeding them three times a day, each time feeding them approximately half a kilogram (approx. one pound) of cooked corn through a special machine meant for this purpose. Attached to this machine is a long pipe whose length and width match that of the goose’s esophagus. The one stuffing the goose grabs it and places the pipe in its mouth at which point he begins turning a handle which forcefully stuffs the corn down the goose’s throat. This is done for a three week period until the goose reaches a weight approximately double of its original weight. The halachic ramifications of this process are many and we shall not deal with all of them; rather, we shall deal with the main points and the halachic ruling on this matter.
Since the geese are force-fed, this process usually causes wounds and punctures in the esophagus area either as a result of the pressure of the feeding or as a result of the pipe placed in their esophagus. Such a puncture wound in the esophagus indicates a “Terefa” in the bird, rendering the bird non-kosher. The problem is that it is not always discernible whether or not such a wound or puncture is present in the goose’s esophagus. The Poskim therefore disagree whether or not one may be lenient and consume this food. The aforementioned reasoning is the primary one for the Poskim prohibiting consuming such geese.
Another point that must be discussed is that after the “stuffing” process of these geese, the geese cannot survive and for this reason they are slaughtered immediately following two weeks of stuffing them. There are therefore Poskim that write that the very fact that they can no longer survive is an indication of a “Terefa”.
Originally, the custom was not to eat such geese besides for several Ashkenazi countries where extreme poverty reigned and the fat of such geese were cheap; therefore, several halachic authorities ruled as leniently as possible and permitted eating these geese. However, the process of force-feeding geese was never practiced in Israel. It is for this reason that Hagaon Harav Tzvi Pesach Frank zt”l, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, wrote that completely abolishing this practice of stuffing the geese will indeed be considered a Mitzvah. Similarly, Hagaon Chazon Ish ruled that this leniency may not be relied upon in Israel, for we are even regretful about those communities outside of Israel who were customarily lenient in this regard and we shall not allow this leniency to continue in Israel.
Based on the above, eating such geese entails several serious halachic issues bordering on severe Torah prohibitions. Thus, when Maran Harav Ovadia Yosef Shlit”a was asked by the Av Bet Din (head of the rabbinical court) of Paris if he should issue Kashrut certification to restaurants in Paris which serve goose liver imported from Israel, Maran replied that he had acted wisely by preventing them to buy such livers from Israel. This is besides the fact that this process entails the severe prohibition of causing pain to animals, for this force-feeding is done in a manner where any person would cringe upon seeing it and the path of our Torah is pleasant and peaceful.
Nevertheless, there has been an improvement regarding this matter in Israel in recent years, for they have begun force-feeding the geese with a much shorter pipe than what was used until now. Additionally, they have begun feeding the geese soft rice meal which does not cause puncture wounds in the goose’s esophagus (which is the main Kashrut concern) and some say that this indeed causes less pain to the goose. In this case, there is more room for leniency in this matter although it is still reasons for stringency even when all this is done. Thus, Hagaon Harav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlit”a, Chief Rabbi of Israel, writes that although there is room for leniency, nevertheless, a “Mehadrin” (high standard) Kashrut certification should not be given to an establishment which serves such goose liver, for those seeking a high standard of kashrut should not be eating such a delicacy.
Indeed, it has recently become unlawful to force-feed geese in the State of Israel. In most other countries though, it is not common-practice to feed geese using the new and improved methods mentioned above which would make eating such geese almost equivalent to transgressing an actual prohibition. In any event, in a place where one is certain that the geese have been fed corn kernels which have been ground into meal using a short pipe as we have mentioned under the supervision of a responsible and reliable Kashrut agency (who are careful to check the esophagus of the goose for punctures or wounds after it has been slaughtered), if one is lenient to eat from such geese he indeed has on whom to rely. If one completely abstains from consuming such fattened geese, he shall surely be blessed from Above. This is the ruling we have received from Maran Shlit”a.
