New York City Bans Foie Gras!

In Defense of Animals welcomes the passing of Intro. 1378 into law! First introduced in January 2019 by New York City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, the legislation forbids selling foie gras in NYC. Foie gras is the diseased liver of ducks and geese who are force-fed enormous quantities of grain via pipes shoved down their throats. The birds’ livers expand to ten times their natural size, which puts pressure on their windpipes and makes it difficult for them to breathe.

*Foie gras force-feeding facilities, like the one seen here, are routinely cruel and should be shut down. Image credit* ***Farm Sanctuary****, CC BY-SA 2.0.*

“We commend the New York City Council for instituting this legislation and the many activists who diligently worked to get it passed,” said Marilyn Kroplick M.D., President of In Defense of Animals. “The horrific cruelty of foie gras production has no place in civilized society, and the NYC Council has sent a clear message that such animal abuse is unacceptable.”

In Defense of Animals joined a coalition led by Voters for Animals Rights to support the bill, which was co-sponsored by 30 NYC Council members. In the end, 42 members voted in favor of the ban. Thousands of In Defense of Animals members called and sent letters to their council members. In Defense of Animals also testified at a June hearing on Intro. 1378.

*This photo was taken during an undercover investigation inside a Quebec foie gras farm. Image credit* ***Liberation BC****, CC BY-SA 2.0.*

“We are thrilled that the stain of foie gras has been removed from NYC and hope that many other cities will follow in its footsteps to end blatant animal abuse in the food industry,” added Kroplick.

With Intro. 1378’s passage, NYC joins California and over a dozen countries that have also banned foie gras. The bill was endorsed by more than 40 New York-based veterinary professionals, over 60 NYC restaurants, and more than 50 public-interest charities. A citywide poll found that 81 percent of NYC voters support the legislation.

Intro. 1378 was passed yesterday along with a raft of pro-animal measures including Intro. 1425, a carriage horse heat relief bill, Intro. 1202, which protects wild birds from poaching, and Intro. 1478, which creates a new Mayoral Office of Animal Welfare within the New York City government.

Featured image: a wild duck. Image credit Julian Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0.