Big Hit Against New York Foie Gras.

Thursday, June 22, 2006
New York Times

Using a novel legal strategy, the organization has petitioned the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets with a request that foie gras be declared an adulterated food. It provided evidence that the process of producing foie gras causes the birds' livers to become pathologically large ("hypertrophied"), resulting in a diseased product. As such, the agriculture commissioner would have the option of banning it.

In a separate action, HSUS notified New York's Hudson Valley Foie Gras and the state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) of its intention to sue Hudson Valley for more than 900 violations of the federal Clean Water Act. It claims the company has released unacceptable amounts of ammonia, chlorine and fecal bacteria into the Middle Mongaup River. Hudson Valley claims most of the alleged violations were due to typographical errors in the records it was required to provide the DEC. The company has six months to respond or the state could force compliance. Otherwise, the suit will go forward. Hudson Valley is the sole producer of foie gras in New York, with the only other U.S. foie gras producer being in California.

As previously reported, HSUS has asked N.Y. Governor George Pataki to retract a $420,000 grant to Hudson Valley and investigate it for violations of state animal cruelty laws. The HSUS also threatened to sue the state for funding an illegal activity.

The 2-year campaign against serving foie gras in Pittsburgh, which has included acts of vandalism, is discussed in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article with photographs here.