Producing foie gras is illegal in the UK because of the suffering involved, yet in a glaring inconsistency it is legal to import the stuff.
Now Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan have written to the Government demanding a ban on importing the pate made mainly in France and Spain by force-feeding geese and ducks.
The stars of the Netflix series After Life condemned the “cruel and unnecessary product” in a letter to environment ministers George Eustice and Lord Goldsmith.
“As you know, force-feeding has been illegal in the UK since 2006 and so production of foie gras is not permitted here - so why do you continue to permit imports of this vile ‘delicacy’?” they wrote.
Peter Egan has first hand experience of seeing foie gras in production, visiting a farm in France with the campaign group Animal Equality.
“I recall looking at the geese inside the farm that day, witnessing the sheer panic in their eyes as they frantically tried to escape their metal cages,” he says.
“What followed – the gruesome force-feeding process – was one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen with my own eyes.
“That’s why this issue is so close to my heart; I know the reality that these animals face.”
A petition by Animal Equality calling for an import ban has passed 250,000 signatures.
The campaign group’s Jenny Canham called permitting imports of foie gras “cruel and nonsensical”.
“The Government must take this opportunity, keep its word, and make this ban a reality,” she said.
The UK imports around 200 tonnes of foie gras a year.
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