Veterinary Support for Massachusetts Bill to End Foie Gras Production (H.966 / S.544)
Hudson Valley Foie Gras promotional video
Dear Members of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources,
My name is Dr. Crystal Heath, and I am a veterinarian and the Executive Director of Our Honor, a national network of veterinary professionals working to align animal agriculture with science-based animal welfare and public health policy. I am writing in strong support of H.966 / S.544 to prohibit the production and sale of force-fed waterfowl products. Foie gras production depends on inserting a metal or plastic tube into a duck or goose’s esophagus two to three times a day to forcefully deliver excessive feed, inducing hepatic steatosis—a diseased state in which the liver swells up to ten times its normal size. This process causes significant pain, respiratory distress, impaired mobility, and organ failure, and mortality rates during force-feeding are many times higher than in standard poultry rearing. Peer-reviewed research has concluded unequivocally that “force-feeding causes very poor welfare in ducks and should not be practised” (Rochlitz, Animal Welfare, 2017) and that the practice inflicts suffering throughout all stages of production (Skippon, Can. Vet. J., 2013; UFAW, 2017).
These welfare violations are particularly troubling because foie gras is an unnecessary luxury product, not a nutritional necessity, and alternatives exist that do not require deliberately inducing disease. Modern animal-care principles emphasize preventing avoidable suffering and allowing animals to express natural behaviors, yet foie gras operations often confine waterfowl in small cages that restrict movement and deny access to water for bathing, preening, or swimming—basic behaviors essential to their well-being (HSUS Expert Synopsis). As veterinarians, we have a duty to speak out when practices violate fundamental welfare standards, especially when they serve no essential purpose. Prohibiting the production and sale of force-fed waterfowl products in Massachusetts would prevent profound suffering, reflect our state’s commitment to humane treatment, and align policy with the best available science. I urge you to pass H.966 / S.544.
Sincerely,
Crystal Heath, DVM
Executive Director, Our Honor
