PETA’s petition urging the UK government to ban the sale and importation of foie gras has gained more than 17150 signatures.
While the production of foie gras is illegal in the UK, around 180 to 200 tonnes of this ‘vile food’ is still being imported into the country.
Foie gras, translated as ‘fatty liver’, is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese several times a day until their livers become diseased and swell to around 10 times their natural size.
PETA’s exposés have revealed how ‘long metal feeding pipes leave some birds so badly injured that they have holes in their necks, broken beaks, and oesophagitis’.
The charity’s investigations also show birds struggling to walk, developing bone deformities, and gasping for breath because their enlarged livers compress their lungs.
Ban foie gras sales and imports
PETA has therefore launched a petition urging the UK government to ban imports and sales of this “torture in a tin”. The petition has already gained over 17150 signatures.
The vegan charity has also written to George Eustice, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to take action and ‘close borders to this cruel trade.’
“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,” PETA’s letter reads
“EU’s own Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare [also] recommends that ‘force-feeding of ducks and geese should stop and this could be best achieved by the prohibition of the production, importation, distribution, and sale of foie gras’.
“We should close our borders to this cruel trade. A ban would reflect the view of the overwhelming majority of Brits – 79% – who 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.”
Fortnum & Mason takes foie gras off shelves
Last week, Fortnum & Mason also announced its decision to ban the sale of foie gras following a decade-long campaign by PETA.
The luxury department’s spokesperson told The Telegraph that the brand has stopped importing foie gras and will sell off its remaining stock following a ‘decision made last year as part of an ongoing focus on the way we do business.’
‘Penny has finally dropped‘
“Although it took far too long, we’re thrilled the penny has finally dropped and Fortnum & Mason is joining the list of iconic British institutions that reject this torture in a tin,” PETA’s vice-president, Mimi Bekhechi, said.
Government response
The Telegraph also reported that the UK government is now considering a ban on the product.
“The government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force-feeding raises serious welfare concerns, and the practice is rightly banned in the UK,” a representative of the government said.
“The government is considering the further steps it could take in relation to foie gras.”
You can sign PETA’s petition here.
Share this story: More than 17150 sign petition to ban sale and importation of foie gras.
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Gordon Ramsay Ditches Vegan Hate and Backs Flora’s Plant-Based Butter in New ‘Skip the Cow’ Campaign
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 28th January 2025
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, once infamous for his digs at vegans, has taken a sharp turn in the kitchen. Ramsay has teamed up with Flora, the famous UK-based spread brand, as its global ambassador, marking a bold new chapter in Flora’s “Skip the Cow” campaign. Flora, established in 1964, has long been a household name …
The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America
- Totally Vegan Buzz Team
- 27th January 2025
Latin America is experiencing an extraordinary rise in plant-based dining options. A new study, spearheaded by Veganuary in partnership with the food discovery platform HappyCow, reveals that Latin America now boasts over 10,000 vegan, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly restaurants—an impressive 21.6% jump compared to last year. Brazil takes the crown as the number one country, with …
Continue reading “The Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Places in Latin America”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. [wpViralQuiz id=27203]
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. [wpViralQuiz id=33494]
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. [wpViralQuiz id=31281] Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God