Poultry
In some countries, geese and ducks are force-fed to produce livers with an exceptionally high fat content for the production of "foie gras". Over 75% of world production of this product occurs in France, with lesser industries in Hungary and Bulgaria and a growing production in China. "Foie gras" is considered a luxury in many parts of the world, but the process of feeding the birds in this way is banned in many countries on animal welfare grounds.
Foie gras controversy
Mirepoix USA, a top provider of goose and duck foie gras, alleges that the animal rights activists attack is a form of prohibition against a cuisine item. Mirepoix claims that the use of the term "diseased" to refer to fatted liver is inaccurate and that geese and ducks naturally store dead fish in their esophagi for long periods. The ducks used in foie gras production, however, are a hybrid of Pekin (a type of Mallard) and Muscovy ducks, both of which are dabbling ducks and as such, subsist mainly on a diet of underwater vegetation, larvae, and various insects.