Senate Committee prohibits production and sale of foie gras in national territory

The Senate Environment Committee on Wednesday morning passed a bill that would ban the production and sale of food products that are obtained by force-feeding animals — the most popular of which is Foie gras.

The proposal was approved on a final basis by the members of the commission, which means that it does not need to be voted on by the plenary of the Legislative House, unless a senator presents a request asking for a vote in the plenary. The matter still needs to be voted on by the Chamber of Deputies.

The text authored by Bolsonarista senator Eduardo Girão (Podes-CE) determines the ban throughout the national territory of the production and commercialization of food products that use this technique of forced feeding of animals.

The bill mentions that this ban applies to foie gras, which is the fatty liver of duck or goose, fresh or canned. However, he points out that the new rule is not limited to this food.

One of the articles in the bill describes what force-feeding would be:

“For the purposes of this law, force feeding refers to any method, mechanical or manual, which consists in forcing the ingestion of food or food supplements above the limit of natural satisfaction of the animal, using any type of equipment to the food directly into the animal’s throat, esophagus, crop or stomach”, states the text of the bill.

The proposal also provides that failure to comply with this legislation will constitute crimes of abuse and mistreatment against animals, provided for in the Environmental Crimes Law. The penalty will be three months to one year in detention, plus a fine. The legislation will enter into force six months after its publication — the presidential sanction, after it has passed through the National Congress.

In the justification of the project, Girão mentions that foie gras is prepared by force-feeding ducks and geese, two to three times a day, using a tube inserted into the throat. The animal’s liver grows up to 12 times and increases its fat level by up to 50%.

“This process (gavage) is carried out for about 12 to 15 days before the animal is slaughtered. Overfeeding causes a disease characterized by the accumulation of fat in the animal’s liver cells. In addition, the animals suffer lesions in the throat and esophagus. , caused by the tube that takes the feed directly to the stomach, causing inflammation, infections and respiratory problems. Diseases in the digestive system can cause the premature death of these animals. Finally, the dimensions of the hypertrophied liver make breathing difficult and walking painful”, explains the author of the proposal.

The parliamentarian also cites a European Union report that concludes that this method is harmful to the well-being of birds and leads to the early death of the animal.

The proposal’s rapporteur, senator Leila Barros (PDT-DF), states in her text that three companies produce foie gras in Brazil, citing a report by the Law for a Green Planet: Villa Germania, in Indaial (SC); Chez Pierre, in Cabreúva (SP); and Agrivert, in Valinhos (SP).

The senator also cites the same institute to say that the company from Santa Catarina produces at least 800 pieces of foie gras per month. The recent controversy surrounding the product would have increased demand by 30%, which represents 0.5% of poultry production and 1.5% of the establishment’s total revenue.

“Although consumption is still relatively small, there is, therefore, perspective for its expansion in the Brazilian market, which needs to be avoided by the government, at the three levels of government”, says the legislative report by Leila Barros.

The author and the rapporteur also mention that four municipalities enacted laws to ban the production and sale of foie gras. In São Paulo, for example, the legislation was even declared unconstitutional, being reversed by the Federal Supreme Court. However, the issue has returned to the state Court of Justice, still unresolved.

“The modern consumer is much more concerned with the origin of the food, goods and services offered and their associated socio-environmental impacts. In a highly informed world, there is no more room for hiding cruel practices, and this will certainly give rise to the review of several productive practices that can cause suffering to animals”, concludes the senator in her report.

Other parliamentarians present at the commission session also expressed support for the proposal.

“I think this is absolutely noble, because it’s not just a vision of protecting the animal from being mistreated: it’s a wisdom of what we’re going to ingest. will throw a lot of adrenaline in his flesh, which I’ll call negative, and a lot of his stress”, said the president of the Environment Commission, Jaques Wagner (PT-BA).

“So, I think it’s an evolution of ours. Really everyone hears that foie gras, in theory, it’s delicious, but, in my opinion, coming from the animal’s deep suffering. It’s almost torture if you stick a tube in the animal and fill it with food. It really is absurd,” he added.