DC approves ballot measure banning foie gras from local restaurants

A ballot measure that would ban foie gras — a luxury delicacy associated with French cuisine made from the liver of a duck or goose fattened by force feeding — from being served in local restaurants is projected to pass in Washington, D.C., according to Decision Desk HQ.

Initiative 86, called the “Prohibiting Force-Feeding of Birds Act of 2026,” prohibits the sale and distribution of fattened-bird-liver products, as well as the practice of force-feeding birds to enlarge their lives, within the District.

About 73 percent of voters backed the measure, according to Decision Desk HQ early Wednesday.

The D.C. Board of Elections placed the initiative on the ballot in August after proponents of the ban collected enough signatures .

The initiative has become one of the most contentious issues on D.C. voters’ November ballots. In the traditionally blue District, the Democratic nominees for its elected offices are expected to win comfortably, including Janeese Lewis George, the democratic socialist who’s the Democratic nominee to succeed three-term Mayor Muriel Bowser.

The proposed ban pitted animal rights advocates against the city’s fine dining industry.

The initiative was backed by Pro-Animal DC, an animal advocacy group that submitted more than 45,000 signatures to ban the “sale or distribution of any product resulting from force-feeding a bird, including foie gras.”

Supporters argue the force-feeding process causes unnecessary suffering by repeatedly feeding ducks or geese large amounts of food until their liver becomes enlarged.

The initiative drew opposition from restaurants and butchers that sell foie gras. In an op-ed in The Washington Post , Butterworth’s chef and owner, Bart Hutchins, said that he was “incredibly disappointed” that the measure made the ballot.

Restaurants and retailers that violate the law could face fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, while repeat offenders could result in the suspension of their business license.

A foie gras ban in California was enacted in 2012. California’s bill was declined for review by the Supreme Court twice, but the product has still been spotted in stores throughout the state, according to a 2025 article from Los Angeles Times.

The ban in D.C. will go into July 1, 2027.