Welfare Organizations Sue USDA Over Foie Gras Sale

Just months before California’s ban on the sale of foie gras goes into effect, several animal-welfare organizations are suing the US Department of Agriculture in an effort to get the controversial food banned nationwide. Attorneys representing Farm Sanctuary, Compassion Over Killing, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, among others, have filed a lawsuit against the government agency, citing a breach of consumer-health and food-inspection standards. The suit argues that, because foie gras consists of the diseased liver of a duck or goose, its sale violates the Poultry Products Inspection Act, which bars adulterated poultry from entering the food supply. According to the organizations, the consumption of foie gras has been linked to life-threatening conditions such as secondary amyloidosis and type 2 diabetes.