Supreme Court: California Foie Gras Ban Stands

Today, the United States Supreme Court made a decision to uphold the ban of foie gras in California, a significant victory for the animal-rights community. Foie gras—which means “fatty liver” in French and is produced by force-feeding ducks and geese so their livers become enlarged—was first outlawed in the state in 2004, but the ban did not go into effect until 2012. Then, a group of restaurants and foie gras producers filed an appeal, which the Supreme Court rejected today. According to Jonathan Lovvorn, chief counsel for the Humane Society of the United States, “The holding in this case—that states have the right to cleanse the markets of cruel products—is a precedent of enormous consequence for millions of animals.”