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New York: Act Now to Ban the Force-Feeding of Ducks for Foie Gras

Legislation has been introduced in New York to ban the production of foie gras-positioning the state to follow the lead of California and more than a dozen countries throughout the world that already prohibit foie gras sales and/or production.

More than 90 percent of foie gras worldwide comes from ducks who are confined inside tiny pens or individual cages and force-fed up to one-third of their own body weight daily. In just a few weeks, force-feeding causes the birds' livers to swell up to 10 times their normal size and become diseased. The disease, hepatic lipidosis, wracks the birds' bodies, preventing them from walking, standing, or even breathing without extreme pain.

Sadly, the suffering endured by foie gras ducks translates into profits for the industry. As one former worker at a large North American foie gras production facility explained, "the best way to maximize profits is to get the biggest and, hence, the most diseased liver." And, according to the employee's ex-supervisor, "the point of gavage [force-feeding] is to make a duck as sick as possible, to bring them to the brink of death."

Nearly 80 percent of Americans polled by Zogby International in 2004 opposed the force-feeding of birds for foie gras production. Even celebrity chefs, like Wolfgang Puck, have publicly spoken out against the cruelty of foie gras.

What You Can Do
The New York State legislature is now considering a law to ban the egregious animal cruelty of foie gras production. Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Michael Benjamin (D, 79) and Senator Frank Padavan (R, 11) will ban the production of foie gras in New York State.

Please contact your state senator and assembly member (look up names and contact information at www.congress.org) and ask them to strongly support S.B. 1463/A.B. 6277, legislation to ban the cruel production of foie gras.

Remember, e-mails are quick and easy, but phone calls-and, better yet, personal visits-are even more effective. For more information, contact jsinger@farmsanctuary.org.

Talking points:

• Foie gras (pronounced 'fwah grah') is the liver of a duck or goose who has been force fed until the liver expands up to 10 times its normal size.
• During the force-feeding process, workers shove a pipe down the birds' throats and force them to ingest up to 1/3 of their own body weight daily.
• The force-feeding causes the painful liver disease called hepatic lipidosis.
• The hugely-swollen livers of birds in foie gras production push against other organs, causing extreme respiratory stress.
• Necropsies on foie gras birds have shown grossly-enlarged livers, lacerated tracheas and esophagi, pneumonia, throats and gullets severely impacted with undigested corn, massive internal bacterial and fungal growth.
• In addition to the negative human health aspects of consuming such a fatty food, one study found a link between foie gras and Amyloidosis, a disease linked to rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, type-2 diabetes and tuberculosis.
• Foie gras production has been banned in more than a dozen European countries as well as Israel, once the world's third-largest foie gras producer. Most recently, South Africa's government declared it illegal as well.
• In the U.S., California banned foie gras production. In 2008, legislation was introduced in Ill., Md., N.J., N.Y., and Philadelphia to ban the production and/or sale of foie gras.
• Celebrity chefs including Wolfgang Puck and Charlie Trotter have pulled foie gras from their menus and have spoken out against its cruelty.
• Both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's have stopped selling foie gras products.
• United, Delta, Air Canada, and American Airlines have stopped serving foie gras.
• Under public pressure, Macy's agreed to cancel a foie gras cooking class, and recently the Smithsonian Associates agreed to cancel a presentation by Hudson Valley Foie Gras owner Michael Ginor.