What is Confined Veal?

Veal is the meat produced from calves slaughtered when they are 3 to 18 weeks of age. These calves are usually born to dairy cows who must be impregnated and give birth in order to produce milk. The female calves of dairy cows often replace older cows in the milking herd while the male offspring are raised for veal.

Veal quality is assessed by color with whiter meat commanding higher prices. Therefore veal calves are separated from their mothers shortly after birth and put on a liquid milk-replacer diet which is formulated to be low in iron to pale the calves’ flesh.

The meat is also prized for its tenderness which is achieved by restricting the calves’ movement so their muscles cannot develop. The majority of veal calves in the United States are reared indoors in individual stalls or crates that prevent the animals from turning around or lying down comfortably. Calves raised in these conditions are denied social contact and the ability to express natural behaviors. Scientific research indicates that confined calves experience chronic stress and require approximately five times more medication than calves living in more spacious conditions.

Due to animal welfare concerns the entire European Union has banned the intensive confinement of veal calves. In 2006, Arizona became the first U.S. state to ban the use of veal crates. Colorado and California followed suit in 2008 and Maine and Michigan in 2009.

Pressure from consumers and animal protection groups has pushed veal producers to consider alternative ways to raise calves for veal production. Some large producers have converted to crate-free group housing, free range systems, and pasture-based methods. Other veal producers have opted to raise their calves in accordance with humane certification and labeling programs, such as Animal Welfare Approved and Certified Humane. These humane labels cover multiple aspects of animal care, and compliance with their standards is verified by an independent third party.

Compassionate patrons of restaurants that still serve confined veal can help end this cruel practice by politely raising their concerns with the management or chefs of those establishments and by requesting them to either stop offering this item or encouraging them to only offer veal from humanely raised animals.

© Photo credited to Farm Sanctuary