A citywide poll recently revealed that 81% of New York citizens would like a total ban on foie gras.
The poll was done by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, a Florida based research firm. It was supported by a coalition of over 40 different public interest charities including The Humane League and The Humane Society of New York.
The point of the poll was to show that there was great public support for a bill, Intro 1378, to ban the sale of foie gras from force-fed animals in New York City. The polling suggests that the proposal is overwhelmingly supported by New York citizens.
“These polling results demonstrate that New Yorkers of all political persuasions oppose animal cruelty and overwhelmingly support a prohibition on the sale of foie gras which comes from tortured ducks and geese. I can think of nothing more common sense than ending the egregious practice of selling a luxury food item made from abused animals.” – Council Member Carlina Rivera
According to Wikipedia Foie Gras is currently banned in many places around the world including California, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, Italy, Poland, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Norway.
What is foie gras and why is it so bad?
To produce foie gras male ducks or geese are force-fed much larger quantities of food than they would normally eat with the intention of creating a large fatty liver.
The most common production method involves shoving metal pipes down the bird’s throat two or three times a day, pumping 2-4 pounds of fat and grain into their stomach. This causes the bird’s livers to swell to around 10 times their normal size.
The birds subjected to this horrendous abuse often have difficulty standing because their livers distend their abdomens. They are crammed into tiny cages, suffer damage to the esophagus, frequent infections, poor liver function, extreme anxiety, and sternum fractures.
“Foie gras is sold as an expensive delicacy in some restaurants and shops. But no one pays a higher price for foie gras than the ducks and geese who are abused and killed to make it.” -Kate Winslet
