I have heard several terrible things as to how veal is made-i.e., how the animals are treated. Is this true?

Question

I have read and heard that the baby cows used to make veal are chained to a pole in one spot so they can not move and gain muscles (because muscles means less tender meat). I have heard that when they bring these baby cows to slaughter, they can't even walk (because they never have). I was so disgusted that I was telling others who had no idea, when I came across one that said this is only done in other countries and is not done in the US - is this true?

Answer 1

Veal is a light-colored meat which comes from young calves who are raised on a restricted diet and whose movements are severely limited. The calves are fed an all-liquid milk substitute which is deficient in iron and fiber. It is designed to cause anemia which produces the pale-colored flesh sold as "white" veal. In addition, veal calves are confined in crates which are just two feet wide, and they are unable to walk or exercise throughout their entire lives (Reece & Hotchkiss, 1987). This confinement prevents muscle development to keep the meat tender, and it hastens weight gain since the calves do not expend calories exercising. No straw or other bedding is provided due to the fear that the calves may eat the straw, which would make their flesh darker in color (Stevenson, 1999).

About 750,000 calves are raised for veal every year in the United States (American Veal Association, 2000). Most veal calves are unwanted males from dairy farms, who are typically slaughtered before 5 months of age (Le Neindre, 1993). Unlike calves raised by the beef industry, who usually nurse from their mothers for about 6 months, calves raised for veal are removed from mothers immediately after birth. They commonly experience the stress of minimal colostrum (first milk) intake (Reece & Hotchkiss, 1987) as well as isolation from the dam and other calves. Veal crates are "an extreme example of maximum close individual confinement with significant curtailment of a variety of natural behaviors" (Friend & Dellmeier, 1988).

Methods used to produce veal have been widely criticized as inhumane, and veal consumption in the United States has dropped significantly in recent decades. A June 2000 poll of 1264 adults across the United States conducted by Zogby International for Farm Sanctuary found that nearly 60% of the respondents never ate veal while another 30% only ate veal a few times a year. In Europe, the use of veal crates and the anemic diet have been banned for humane reasons, and the European Commission's Scientific Veterinary Committee has recommended that calves be kept in groups, have sufficient room to lie down comfortably, and be given a properly balanced diet (Europa, 1996).

Scientific evidence suggests that the restricted diet and the intensive confinement used to produce "white" veal impairs both the physical and psychological well-being of calves.

Answer 2

Im a chef and use veal on a regular basis. When I was in school I had seen some documentary work on how badly the cows are treated, but heard from several chefs, that they weren't widely treated bad. The definition of veal is a milkfed animal, so until slaughter they never see grass. You can choose for yourself, and probably the best way to decide on this is find the brand name of the veal you may be buying and look them up.

Answer 3

I read articles from websites that showed photos of the poor treated calves, what you have heard was true. I was glad that I seldom order veal in restaurants (only once or twice I had it before). We seldom have beef on our dining table and certainly I won't buy or order veal.

Answer 4

oh no! It gets much worse than that, but i can't tell you here cause my post would get banned cause of the high gore content. i get the goosebumps just by thinking of it.

Answer 5

all veal is created the same way, it does not matter where it is from.

Answer 6

Yes unfortuantly it is true and is done in the US.

Answer 7

It is ABSOLUTELY done here too!