Posted by Quacker, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Aug 3, 2012 at 10:37 pm

The above comment about the gag reflex may be true, but it is not relevant as to the pain the animals feel when being force fed. The pro bird-torturer marketing machine has pumped this red-herring out there and all the supporters are just copying it around as if it was the whole truth.

Rather than just reading marketing messages, why not read something that explains the whole problem and why the bans are actually happening:

"The problems of the force-feeding procedure are: (1) handling by humans which, in the commercial force-feeding situation, can cause aversion and discomfort for ducks and geese, (2) the potentially damaging and distressing effects of the tube which is inserted into the oesophagus, (3) the rapid intubation of a large volume of food. . . ducks at the end of the force-feeding period can have serious injuries to the oesophagus. . . It seems likely that birds have sufficient damage to oesophagus tissue, caused by the force-feeding process to have been painful to the birds.. . There is good evidence that liver structure and function that would be classified as normal is severely altered and compromised in force fed ducks and geese. . . because normal liver function is seriously impaired in birds with the hyperatrophied liver which occurs at the end of force-feeding the level of steatosis should be considered pathological. . . It is clear that steatosis and other effects of force-feeding are lethal when the procedures are continued."

Hope you learned something...