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ARCHIVED - Animal Equality in Spain launches campaign against force-feeding birds for foie gras
Force-feeding ducks and geese is still widely practiced throughout Spain for the controversial liver delicacy
Activist group Animal Equality has launched a massive campaign aimed at banning the practice of force-feeding ducks and geese for the production of foie gras, a highly controversial delicacy, both in Spain and throughout the European Union.
Spearheaded by Spanish actress Sara Sálamo, the campaign calls for an “end of torture” and the petition has already collected more than 60,000 signatures throughout the EU in conjunction with similar activities in Germany, Italy, the UK and the US.
In addition to gathering names, the group has directed a video which features Ms Sálamo explaining that every year, more than a million ducks and geese are force-fed so that their livers will grow to 10 times their normal size to produce foie gras.
According to the EU, foie gras is “goose or duck liver that has been fattened in such as way as to produce adipose cell hypertrophy of the liver.” In order to be sold as the delicacy, duck livers must reach a weight of 300g while goose livers should have a minimum net weight of 400g.
To achieve this, birds are prevented from exercising and are force-fed a highly calorific diet through a process called gavage, which involves placing a tube down the throat several times each day to force the geese and ducks to consume up to one pound or corn-based feed.
Ultimately, Animal Equality is calling for a change in the regulations so that livers don’t have to reach a minimum weight to be considered foie gras, which would eliminate the need for the cruel practice of overfeeding.
Force-feeding has already been banned in 18 countries but is still widely practiced in the likes of Spain, France, Bulgaria, Hungary and Belgium.
"It is time for the Government to stop turning a deaf ear to such a fervent demand from society and end a practice that none of its members would bear to witness," co-founder of Animal Equality, Javier Moreno, concluded.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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