Portland City Council Passes Ban on Force-Fed Foie Gras Sales

New ordinance gives businesses 180 days to comply as Portland joins other U.S. cities restricting sales of force-fed foie gras.

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES, June 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Portland City Council voted 7-5 today to pass Ordinance 2026-149, prohibiting the sale and
provision of force-fed foie gras products in Portland restaurants, retailers, and food service establishments.
The ordinance applies to the sale or provision of foie gras produced through force-feeding. It does not restrict
possession, consumption, or online sales. The policy will be enforced through a complaint-based process, beginning
with written notice before fines of $1,000 to $5,000 per violation may be issued.
The vote makes Portland the latest U.S. city to prohibit foie gras sales, following similar action in New York City,
Pittsburgh, and Brookline, Massachusetts.

Pro-Animal Oregon has organized for more than two years in support of a Portland foie gras sales ban. Animal
advocates have urged city leaders to act on the issue for at least five years, and Portland activists have protested
restaurants serving foie gras for more than two decades.

According to research from Colorado State University’s Animal-Human Policy Center, 81% of Portland residents support
a citywide ordinance prohibiting the sale of foie gras produced using force-feeding. The same research found that 85%
of Oregonians support a statewide law prohibiting the sale of foie gras produced using force-feeding.
Once the ordinance goes into effect, the businesses that still serve or sell foie gras will have 180 days to remove it
from their menus or shelves.

During council debate, several members rejected the argument that the ordinance was primarily about personal
food choice, emphasizing instead the treatment of animals before the product reaches consumers.

“It’s very encouraging to see the city of Portland vote to remove a product
of such deliberate and extreme cruelty from its marketplace, especially with
polls showing over 80% of Portlanders support prohibiting force-fed foie gras.”
-Sam Schillinger, Campaign Director of Pro-Animal Oregon.

“Portland has always been a city that leads with its values, and today's vote is
proof that those values include protecting animals from needless suffering.
I want to thank the councilors who championed this ordinance and all the
councilors who voted yes for animals.”
-Eva Hamer, Executive Director of Pro-Animal Oregon.

“Foie gras is actually just a gross practice that does not need to exist. We will
all be okay without this additional delicacy. There are many delicious and
wonderful things to eat in the world that do not include having to force-feed an
animal.” -Councilor Angelita Morillo

“Sometimes community members come to us and they say, ‘We’ve identified a problem, we think there’s a reasonable solution,
and we’d like you to act, and sometimes the answer is simply, ‘That seems reasonable.’ -Councilor Candace Avalos

Pro-Animal Oregon thanked the ordinance’s co-sponsors: Councilors Mitch Green, Jamie Dunphy, Tiffany Koyama
Lane, and Angelita Morillo; for their leadership, as well as the volunteers and residents who testified, organized, and
contacted council offices.

About Pro-Animal Oregon:
Pro-Animal Oregon works to advance humane and responsible animal protection policies across Oregon through public
education, community organizing, and legislative advocacy.

Click for Photos/Videos - Credit Pro-Animal Oregon
For interviews, contact:
Public Relations: Anvar Ruziev – anvar@proanimal.org | 720-550-3146
Executive Director: Eva Hamer – eva@proanimal.org | 707-832-8784

Anvar Ruziev
Pro-Animal Future
+1 720-550-3146
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Bluesky
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.