Portland bans foie gras, restaurants face fines up to $5,000
Portland restaurants got about six months to pull foie gras from menus, or face fines up to $5,000. The 7-5 ban will force menu changes, staff retraining, and compliance checks.
Portland City Council approved a ban on the sale of force-fed foie gras in a 7-5 vote, putting restaurants on a six-month clock to remove the dish or face fines of $1,000 to $5,000. The ordinance targets foie gras made by force-feeding ducks or geese, a menu item that will now have to come off Portland lists later in 2026 or by early 2027, depending on how quickly each restaurant rewrites its offerings.
Councilor Mitch Green led the push, and the vote fell along a narrow split that left the council’s progressive caucus on the winning side. Councilor Steve Novick sided with that bloc, and audience members in green Pro-Animal Oregon shirts cheered when the tally was announced at City Hall. The council had already spent 90 minutes hearing additional testimony before advancing the measure to a second reading on May 28, 2026.
Chefs will have to replace a high-profile luxury dish, managers will have to update printed menus and point-of-sale systems, and servers will have to answer guest questions about why the item disappeared. In dining rooms where foie gras has been used to anchor tasting menus or special occasions, the added risk is that a mistake could cost a business as much as $5,000.
Backers said the ordinance aims to prevent animal cruelty, reduce pollution from intensive confinement farming, and protect public health. Portland city presentation materials cited California’s 2012 foie gras sales ban as precedent.
Opponents argued that Portland had bigger priorities, and some local chefs warned the ban could hurt small businesses and tourism. Restaurant owners already dealing with staffing shortages, high turnover and constant menu churn will have to update menus and retrain staff.
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