Foie Gras Company - Hudson Valley Foie Gras - Fined $30,000 for Environmental Violations

Seems they got off easy too.

What is foie gras and why is it bad?

Foie gras (translated literally from French as "fatty liver" and pronounced 'fwah grah') is produced by cruel and inhumane farming practices. At just a few months old, ducks are confined inside dark sheds and force-fed enormous amounts of food several times a day. A farm worker grabs each duck and, one by one, thrusts a metal pipe down their throats so that a mixture of corn can be forced directly into their gullets. In just a matter of weeks, the ducks become grossly overweight and their livers expand up to 10 times their normal size.

As a result, ducks raised for foie gras have difficulty standing, walking, and even breathing. Many of them die before the end of the force-feeding cycle, and the mortality rate for ducks raised on foie gras farms is among the highest in the farming industry. Necropsies performed on foie gras ducks have shown extreme obesity, impaction of undigested food in the esophagus, lacerations in the throat, and a proliferation of bacterial and fungal growth in their upper digestive tracts.

More information on foie gras can be found at:
http://www.nofoiegras.org/

Article:

Hudson Valley Foie Gras fined $30,000 by DEC

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20070307/NEWS/703070350

March 07, 2007

Ferndale — The Humane Society of the United States has won a round in its battle against Hudson Valley Foie Gras. The state Department of Environmental Conservation fined the company $30,000 for violations that were brought to light in a lawsuit brought by the society.

The violations involved the discharge of manure pollutants and building an unauthorized cesspool. Most of the other 800 violations were technical in nature.

"The only comment is that we negotiated the settlement with the DEC and continue to work closely with them to make sure the operation is in compliance with all rules and environmental regulations," company spokeswoman Allison Lee said.

Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president of animal protection litigation for the humane society, said, "We applaud the state for finally recognizing that this facility is violating water pollution laws. But the decision to settle 800 violations for less than $50 apiece is inexcusable."