The Letter

Dear Attorney General Bonta,

I am writing to urge your office to enforce California's prohibition on the sale of foie gras and hold Wild Fork Foods accountable for years of sales in the state. 

Wild Fork—a subsidiary of meat giant JBS—was caught selling foie gras at all 11 of its Southern California locations, from Encinitas to Thousand Oaks. As documented by an Animal Outlook investigator and reported in the Los Angeles Times, all evidence suggests this company violated California Health and Safety Code § 25982, which explicitly bans the sale of foie gras products in California.

While Wild Fork has now stopped selling foie gras after being exposed, they likely profited from these illegal sales for years. Under California law, the company could owe up to $8.2 million in penalties—$1,000 per violation plus $1,000 for each day they broke the law.

No law enforcement agency has given any indication that the sales were lawful.Yet no law enforcement agency has yet taken action.

Animal Outlook has reported these violations to multiple police departments, health departments, and city and district attorneys, only to be told they lack the authority, qualifications, or desire to pursue enforcement. This creates a dangerous precedent: if corporations can break California law until caught, then simply stop without facing consequences, what prevents future violations?

California spent years and significant taxpayer resources defending the foie gras ban in federal court. That effort is meaningless if the law isn't enforced.

Precedent exists for action. In 2019, Los Angeles County successfully reached a settlement with Amazon for foie gras sales, proving these cases can and should be pursued.

As California's chief law enforcement officer, you have the power to:

• Hold Wild Fork accountable for past violations
• Recover millions in penalties owed under state law
• Send a clear message that no corporation is above California law

The evidence is clear. Animal Outlook has provided documentation of purchases at each location. Wild Fork's own CEO admitted the products were "not permitted for retail sale in California."

I urge you to take immediate action to enforce the law and ensure Wild Fork pays the penalties they owe to the people of California. Our laws protecting animals, public health, and consumer values must have teeth—or they mean nothing.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.