home - science and experts

h o m e s c i e n c e a n d e x p e r
Foie Gras producer must eat its
n e w s & e vDECLARATION
e n t s OF LAURIE SIPERSTEIN-COOK, DVM words
The National Advertising Division of
the Council of Better Business
a b o u t f o i I,e Laurie
g Siperstein-Cook,
r a s declare: Bureaus has recommended that
D’Artagnan Inc. stop claiming their
p h o t o s &
I know the following facts of my own knowledge and if called as a
v i d e o s Artisan foie gras comes from healthy
witness would testify competently thereto. livers and that their animals are
treated well. Read the press release.
e x p e r t o p i n i o n s
1. I am an avian veterinarian. I graduated from the University of Farm Sanctuary Applauds NYC
Councilman Avella’s Proposed
e n d o r s e m eCalifornia
n t sat Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1989. I also have Resolution that Supports Ending the
a masters degree in Zoology from the University of California at Davis. Cruelty of Foie Gras Production in
f . a . q . New York State. Read more.
2. In November, 2002, I was asked to examine four ducks that I was
Chicago City Council Reverses Foie
m e d i a c e n told
t were
e r rescued from a foie gras producing farm. The Gras Ordinance Effectively
circumstances of the rescue were not described to me. Endorsing Animal Cruelty.
w h a t y o u c a n d o Animal Protection Groups File Legal
3. On examination of the ducks, I noted the following conditions: Petition Asking USDA to Declare Foie
Gras Unfit for Human Consumption.
Very overweight, with excess fat pads palpable on their chests Read more.
and abdomens. On Tuesday, April 29, the Pew
Heavily soiled with fecal matter. Commission on Industrial FarmAnimal
Could barely stand and walked with difficulty. Production released the results of a
two and a half year study,
Panted excessively. confirming what farm animal
Had severe cases of bumblefoot (pododermatitis = infected advocates have long known: that
confining farm animals inside tiny
foot pads) on both feet. crates and cages, subjecting them to
Were not eating on their own. routine mutilations, force feeding
them, and pumping them full of
4. I concluded that their conditions were a result of the following: antibiotics is an untenable situation.
The Pew Commission provides
Force-feeding excessive amounts of a high calorie food. The purpose additional, compelling and irrefutable
of this process is to cause their livers to swell to an abnormal size data to prohibit these abuses. Read
more.
due to storage of fat. This process produces the delicacy known as
foie gras, yet the consequences are deleterious to the health and
THE INDEPENDENT – Dec. 15, 2008
well-being of the ducks. Grossly enlarged livers are less able to Influential French chef, Albert Roux,
perform their function of cleansing the bloodstream of waste products condemns foie gras production as
inhumane
from the body. In fact, if the force-feeding were to continue, many if not
most of the birds would die from liver disease. In fact, the mortality CONTACTMUSIC.COM – Oct. 16,
2008
rate of force fed ducks is higher than that of free feeding ducks being Phil Collins – Collins Slams Store for
raised for meat. Pathologists who were shown livers from force fed Selling Foie Gras.
ducks determined that the livers were pathologically engorged with fat BALTIMORE SUN – Oct. 11, 2008
to a degree that was much more severe than occurs naturally. Disney drops foie gras.
WASHINGTON POST – July 20, 2008
It has been shown that ducks fed ad lib do not eat as much or gain as Foie Gras Upsets Takoma Park
much weight as ducks that are force fed, and if force-feeding is
stopped, the ducks eat less until they lose the excess weight and
their livers return to normal size. Even in preparation for migration,
ducks in the wild do not gain so much weight that they are sick, can't
walk and have become obese. Besides, the ducks used for foie gras
production are a hybrid of mallards and muscovy ducks, the latter of
which do not migrate at all in the wild. They therefore don't have the
need to store fat for migration.

The swollen livers also put pressure on the abdominal airsacs which
impares the bird's ability to breathe. They also push the legs out
laterally, making it difficult for the birds to walk properly.

Excess weight at fast growth rates causes pressure on the legs and
joints, also making it difficult and painful to walk. Ducks in foie gras
factories have been shown to suffer from a much higher rate of long
bone fractures at the time of slaughter than ducks raised for meat and

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com
not force fed.

5. Lack of access to water for bathing. Ducks require at least shallow

pools of water for immersing their heads and for bathing. They have a
strong urge to clean and preen their feathers to keep them lined up
and waterproof. The ducks I saw were very soiled and obviously were
denied water adequate for this behavior.

6. Improper flooring . Ducks kept on hard wood or wire surfaces will

develop foot sores that lead to the infection called bumblefoot. This is
a painful condition that can progress into the joint of the foot causing
chronic pain and difficulty walking.

7. I believe that the conditions described, under which these birds

were kept and the fact that they had been force-fed to create an obese
and unhealthy state constitutes unnecessary cruelty.

8. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of

California that the foregoing is true and correct.

Laurie Siperstein-Cook

Dated October 14, 2003

Copyright © 1986-2009 by The Farm Sanctuary.
Please feel free to use the images on this site with credit to
Farm Sanctuary.
Contact the webmaster to report website problems.
Hosted by www.vegsource.com

converted by Web2PDFConvert.com