Denver Foie Gras Ban 2026
Legislation Text

Chapter 8 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code is hereby amended by the addition of a new Article VIII, to read as follows:

ARTICLE VIII. Prohibit Force-Feeding Birds Act

Sec. 8-160. Legislative Intent

The People of the City and County of Denver hereby find and declare:

  1. That the practice of force-feeding birds for any purpose involves the intentional overfeeding of ducks, geese, or similar birds, typically by inserting a tube down the bird’s esophagus and delivering excessive quantities of feed directly into the stomach;
  2. That this method is primarily used to produce foie gras—a luxury food item made from the pathologically enlarged liver of a duck or goose—which is not nutritionally necessary and is consumed almost exclusively as a high-end delicacy;
  3. That force-feeding is widely regarded as inhumane by veterinary professionals due to the significant pain, stress, and disease it causes, including severe enlargement of the liver, impaired mobility, and a high incidence of bacterial and fungal infections;
  4. That the confinement systems typically associated with force-feeding prevent birds from engaging in normal behaviors, increase stress, and contribute to environmental degradation through concentrated waste and emissions;
  5. That facilities engaged in the production of foie gras force-feeding discharge runoff with high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other pollutants, contributing to air and water pollution;
  6. That workers in such facilities are exposed to elevated occupational risks, including respiratory hazards, physical injury, and zoonotic disease transmission, which pose threats to both worker safety and public health;
  7. That consumption of products derived from force-fed birds, including foie gras, has been linked to public health risks such as elevated cholesterol, liver dysfunction, and exposure to potentially amyloidogenic proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzhiemer’s disease;
  8. That eliminating the production and sale of force-fed products from the marketplace is in our city’s interest and authority to reduce animal cruelty, unsustainable environmental practices, and spread of zoonotic disease, and to uphold our city’s values of humane animal treatment, public health, and environmental stewardship.

Sec. 8-161. Definitions.

For purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

  1. Bird means any species of poultry including, but not limited to, a duck or a goose.
  2. Force feeding a bird means a process that causes the bird to consume more food than a typical bird of the same species would consume voluntarily. Force feeding methods include, but are not limited to, delivering feed through a tube or other device inserted into the bird’s esophagus.
  3. Retail food establishment has the same meaning given in § 23-2(30).
  4. Sell or sale means any act of selling, trading, distributing, or bartering for monetary or nonmonetary consideration, and includes any transfer of ownership that occurs in the course of a commercial transaction. All above actions shall be deemed to occur at the location where the recipient takes or would take physical possession of the item.

Sec. 8-162. Prohibition on force-feeding.

  1. A person may not force feed a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size, or hire another person to do so. This section shall not apply to someone force-feeding a bird as directed by a licensed veterinarian for the purpose of improving the bird’s health.
  2. A product may not be sold in Denver if it is the result of force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird’s liver beyond normal size. Accordingly, no person, retail food establishment, or any agent thereof, shall sell or offer for sale, distribution, or offer to provide by sale or any other manner any such product, or import, transport, or receive such a product into Denver, CO for sale, distribution, or any other commercial purpose within the city.

Sec. 8-163. Enforcement and penalties.

  1. The Denver Departments of Public Health and Environment and Excise and Licenses shall together have the power and duty to enforce all provisions of this Article. Thereby, these Departments:
    1. are authorized to adopt rules, procedures, and forms to implement the provisions of this Article;
    2. shall ensure compliance with the provisions of this Article during routine inspections of retail food establishments; 
    3. shall have the authority to issue subpoenas for records related to the purchase, storage, and sale of poultry products;
    4. shall ensure members of the public are able to submit complaints notifying the Department of possible violations; and
    5. shall maintain a publicly available online database of violations and penalties issued under this Article, updated quarterly.
  2. Any person or retail food establishment who violates any provision of this Article shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each violation. Each violation shall be treated as a separate and distinct offense, and in the case of a continuing violation, each day’s continuance shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. Repeated violations within a 12-month period shall result in mandatory suspension of the business license for up to six months, subject to review by a hearing officer as provided in § 32-15(a).
  3. In addition to other remedies provided by this article or by other law, any violation of this article may be enforced by a civil action brought by the City or any agent thereof, including but not limited to an action for injunctive relief.
  4. Nothing in this section shall restrict any right which any person may have under statute or common law to seek enforcement of this article or other relief.
  5. If a corporate entity or its agent violates any provision of this Article, the owner(s), operators, or individuals legally responsible for the operation of the corporate entity shall be subject to the penalties provided herein.

Sec. 8-164. Severability

If any Section, Subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Article is declared invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Article.

Sec. 8-165. Effective Date

This article becomes effective beginning July 1, 2027.