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Thousands of Brits are urging the UK government to ban the sale and importation of foie gras.
Translated to ‘fatty liver’ – to produce foie gras, ducks and geese are ‘force-fed several times a day until their livers become diseased and swell to around 10 times their natural size’.
Is foie gras legal in the UK?
While it is illegal to produce foie gras in the UK under animal welfare laws, around 180 to 200 tonnes of the controversial food is shipped in from abroad annually.
France alone produces more than 20,000 tons of foie gras each year.
Vegan charity PETA has therefore set up a petition calling for a complete ban – exceeding 16,000 signatures.
It has also written to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice, urging him stop the sale and importation of ‘torture in a tin’.
‘A notoriously vile food’
“Foie gras is a notoriously vile food for which birds are condemned to such intense suffering that its production is illegal in the UK and more than a dozen other countries,” the letter reads.
“We should close our borders to this cruel trade. A ban would reflect the view of the overwhelming majority of Brits. 79 percent want to see an end to imports of foie gras.
“By making the decision to stop importing and selling this vile product, the UK would close the loophole that currently allows a food whose production is so cruel that it cannot take place here to remain on our shelves. And, become a world leader in animal protection.”
Foie Gras ban
Earlier this month, high-end department store Fortnum & Mason became the latest retailer to ban foie gras.
The company received pressure to ditch the product following several campaigns by PETA. The charity says its initiatives received a slew of support from celebs such as the late Sir Roger Moore and Dame Ver Lynn.
Moreover, The Duchess of Hamilton publically returned a Christmas gift she’d received from Fortnum & Mason. She reportedly stated in her letter: “Until you [end foie gras sales], I will regrettably be unable to shop at Fortnum and Mason.”
You can sign the petition here
