The force-feeding process, called gavage, causes the animals liver to expand up to 10 times its size.

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"When we force-feed ducks and geese and we stop the force-feeding, the liver recesses to normal, " Daguin says.

CNN: Foie gras causes uproar

Although not specifically banned under international law, force-feeding of prisoners is prohibited under the World Medical Association's 1975 Declaration of Tokyo, which has been endorsed by the American Medical Association.

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According to Dr Andre Menache, one of Noah's senior members and a Jerusalem-based veterinary surgeon, the ruling's stress on cruelty means any alternative to force-feeding will have to be provably non-harmful.

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Many livestock farmers are losing money feeding high-priced grain to their herds, which could force them to shrink the size of their operations.

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