Today, a U.S.
District Court judge in Los Angeles overturned the California law—Cal. Health
& Safety Code § 25982—prohibiting the sale of foie gras (French for “fatty liver) produced by cruelly
force-feeding ducks or geese to intentionally induce an enlarged, diseased
liver. The ruling was based on the judge’s decision that the process of
force-feeding is an “ingredient and thus falls under federal, not state,
law.
District Court judge in Los Angeles overturned the California law—Cal. Health
& Safety Code § 25982—prohibiting the sale of foie gras (French for “fatty liver) produced by cruelly
force-feeding ducks or geese to intentionally induce an enlarged, diseased
liver. The ruling was based on the judge’s decision that the process of
force-feeding is an “ingredient and thus falls under federal, not state,
law.
In 2013, Mercy For Animals conducted an undercover investigation at Hudson Valley
Foie Gras, one of the three plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to this ruling,
and used hidden cameras to document the inherent cruelty and violence of foie gras production. The investigation revealed workers violently grabbing ducks and shoving metal pipes down their throats in order to force-feed them. See for yourself:
Foie Gras, one of the three plaintiffs in the lawsuit that led to this ruling,
and used hidden cameras to document the inherent cruelty and violence of foie gras production. The investigation revealed workers violently grabbing ducks and shoving metal pipes down their throats in order to force-feed them. See for yourself:
This disturbing practice causes ducks’ livers to become diseased and swell up to 10 times their normal size. Violently force-feeding birds to induce a state of disease is egregiously cruel and has no place in a civilized society.
The district court’s
misguided decision to allow the sale of cruelly produced foie gras in California is a grave miscarriage of justice. The
ruling is contrary to both law and common sense, and we are confident the law
will be upheld on appeal. The people of California clearly have the right to
prohibit the sale of a product that is the result of abject animal abuse. If
production practices are now “ingredients then state laws regulating food
safety, workers’ rights, environmental protection, and countless other
important issues would be invalidated by this outrageous ruling as well.
misguided decision to allow the sale of cruelly produced foie gras in California is a grave miscarriage of justice. The
ruling is contrary to both law and common sense, and we are confident the law
will be upheld on appeal. The people of California clearly have the right to
prohibit the sale of a product that is the result of abject animal abuse. If
production practices are now “ingredients then state laws regulating food
safety, workers’ rights, environmental protection, and countless other
important issues would be invalidated by this outrageous ruling as well.
Mercy For Animals
urges the California Attorney General to immediately appeal the district
court’s bizarre and erroneous decision and uphold the will of the people. We
are confident that the 9th Circuit will reject the district court’s
decision and affirm the validity of this important law to protect animals from
being tortured for foie gras.
urges the California Attorney General to immediately appeal the district
court’s bizarre and erroneous decision and uphold the will of the people. We
are confident that the 9th Circuit will reject the district court’s
decision and affirm the validity of this important law to protect animals from
being tortured for foie gras.
