Amazon UK bans foie gras sales

ONLINE retailer Amazon has banned foie gras and products containing foie gras from its pages in the UK.

The move comes after intense campaigning by UK animal rights group Viva! and French group L214. Viva! had gathered 13,000 signatures on a petition for Amazon and L214 put together a video of how the caged ducks are force-fed corn mash in the south-west of France.

It is thought up to 100 products have been removed from Amazon UK as a result of the ban, the majority from French manufacturers Labeyrie and Rougié.

Amazon has updated its conditions of sale to list foie gras products alongside elephant ivory and whalemeat that will not be allowed for sale.

L214 spokeswoman Brigitte Gothière said it was “encouraging” that retail giants such as Amazon were taking positions against animal cruelty.

She added that force-feeding was banned in the UK and in 23 other European countries because of the suffering it caused the animals and it was time “France opened its eyes to animal suffering and turned the page on the gavage (force-feeding)”.

French agriculture minister Guillaume Garot said he “regretted” Amazon’s decision and added: “I must emphasise again the efforts that French manufacturers have made over the years in maintaining a real quality product while respecting the well-being of the animal.”

The industry in France exports around 16million tons of foie gras a year and employs around 100,000 people.

Foie gras sales have been banned in the California since last year and the fattened duck liver been taken off the menu in the House of Lords.

Previous articles:
Foie gras banned in California
Foie gras taken off Lords’ menues