Advocating for Birds used for Foie Gras

The food known as “foie gras” comes from dangerously force-feeding a duck or a goose.

A duck foie gras producer will shove a tube down each ducks’s throat three times a day over nearly three weeks. This forces the duck to ingest so much food that his liver grows up to ten times its usual size. As a result, the liver reaches a diseased state, increasing the bird’s mortality risks.

Because of this cruelty, producing and selling foie gras can create legal or reputational issues. For instance, it’s illegal to sell foie gras in California. See Cal. Health & Safety Code § 25982 (“A product may not be sold in California if it is the result of force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size.”); Ass’n des Éleveurs de Canards et d'Oies du Quebec v. Becerra, 870 F.3d 1140 1153 (9th Cir. 2017) (upholding constitutionality of foie gras sales ban).

On August 10, 2023, LIC thus contacted a San Francisco caterer to demand that the company “permanently stop selling foie gras.” The caterer responded immediately, and agreed to remove this cruel dish from its menu!

Then, on July 30, 2024, LIC sent a cease-and-desist letter to a DC retailer on behalf of LIC’s client, Animal Outlook. The letter demanded that the retailer stop labeling its foie gras as ‘humanely raised.’ We hope the retailer will do the right thing. Stay tuned.