Sir Roger Moore Urges Norwich Councillors To Ban Foie Gras Sales
For Immediate Release:
29 October 2007
Contact:
Noemie Ventura 020 7357 9229, ext 226
Karen Chisholm 020 7357 9229, ext 229
Norwich – Today, on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Europe (PETA), Sir Roger Moore sent a letter to the Norwich City Council urging members to support a motion calling for a ban on the sale of foie gras in the city. The motion will be discussed at a council meeting in Norwich on Tuesday evening.
Foie gras (French for “fatty liver”) is produced by cramming pipes down the throats of ducks and geese and force-feeding them as much as 4 pounds of grain and fat two to three times a day. This causes the birds’ livers to become painfully diseased and swell up to about 10 times their normal size.
Investigations into foie gras farms in Europe and the US have all revealed sick, dead and dying animals, some with holes in their necks from pipe injuries. Although the production of foie gras is prohibited by the UK’s animal welfare standards, the UK continues to fund this abuse by importing and selling foie gras produced in other countries.
Foie gras production is also prohibited in 15 other countries. In the US, the sale of foie gras was banned in the city of Chicago last year, and the state of California has passed a law which will phase out the sale and production of foie gras by 2012. Earlier this month, the York City Council passed a motion – with a nearly unanimous vote – condemning the sale of foie gras and banning it from the council’s premises. Just last week, the Bolton City Council followed suit. Both councils have indicated their intention to contact Lord Rooker, Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health, regarding a ban on the sale of foie gras in the UK.
Moore ends his letter to Norwich councillors with the appeal, “With your help, I believe we will soon see an end to this violent and inherently cruel delicacy of despair”.
For more information and to view PETA’s foie gras video narrated by Sir Roger Moore, please visit PETA.org.uk.