Foie gras:New images show why force-feeding must be abolished

Even today, millions of ducks and geese are forced to be force-fed to produce foie gras.This is a ferocious and cruel practice, as the new images we have released reveal.

On the farms of France, where most of the foie gras sold around the world is produced, legal torture occurs daily whichEuropean Union consider in line with animal welfare.

Force-feeding is a practice used on ducks and geese with the aim of "fattening" their livers.As we have documented, in the last 15 days of life in breeding, the animals come forced to feed through a long metal tube inserted into their throats, which administers to them from two hundred to four hundred grams of feed, with serious choking risks and damage to the walls of the esophagus.

The forced feeding phase - called "gavage" - can lead to geese and ducks being weighed in just a few days four to seven kilos.Their liver is actually affected by a pathology which is called "hepatic steatosis" and consists ofexcessive accumulation of fat within cells.When their liver is removed during slaughter, it weighs between 550 and 700 grams, which is seven to ten times more than its normal weight.

In short, foie gras is made from sick and tortured animals, as also supported by the scientific community.Its production was in fact strongly condemned by a report from the scientific veterinary committee of the European Union, which judges forced feeding “harmful to animal welfare”.However, although the FAO also considers the practice of force-feeding harmful to animals, in 2022 the European Parliament approved a report stating that production is based on breeding procedures respectful of animal welfare criteria.

While in Europe this practice is still permitted in France, Hungary, Bulgaria, Spain and the Belgian region of Wallonia, In Italy the production of foie gras through forced feeding has been banned since 2007, but its trade and import are not.Our country is in fact among the trading partners of France, which produces thousands of tons of foie gras every year destined for some local delicatessens and numerous Italian restaurants, especially during the Christmas holidays.

Yet, from a recent consultation public of the European Commission showed that ninety percent of those interviewed are against force-feeding.As Animal Equality we cannot accept that a practice like this can still be allowed in Europe, which is why we have launched a petition to ask the Italian government to support the European ban on force-feeding in all necessary locations. Do our part for animals exploited for food purposes, choosing a diet free from their suffering is, in fact, possible.