The sacrificial rite is a public performance initially intended to demonstrate a social commitment on the part of the devotee to change his/her life for the betterment of the community. 99.9% of the time, the food sacrificed was eaten by the community (the 0.1% of the time it was left in the forest for small animals to eat). It was never meant to be literally for the spirit of orisa.
The various elements included in the ebo were symbolic of the actions you need to take...the sacrifice you need to make in your real life. This is why Eshu (the deity of decision making) is the central orisha concerned with all ebo; he is concerned with change thru your decisions in LIFE not at the altar.
However, with the murder of the many elders who opposed the "slave trade," a new class of theocratic hierarchy rose and the people lost the knowledge of the symbolic meaning behind the rituals. Now they confuse the ritual act for the real-life act of ebo. They are unfortunately being encouraged by con-artist priests who want to make money off of their ignorance.
True ebo (sacrifice) deals with the sacrifices & taboos you must make in your real life, not on an altar!
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