Foie gras production involves force-feeding ducks and geese to enlarge their livers, a practice banned in many countries but still consumed globally.
The welfare case against foie gras is one of the strongest in food animal production: the procedure requires physical restraint and forced insertion of a tube into the oesophagus multiple times daily. Affected birds show abnormal walking due to enlarged abdominal organs, respiratory difficulty, and liver dysfunction. The enlargement process causes organ pathology that would be classified as disease in any other context. Several EU countries have banned production while France and others continue under cultural exception arguments.