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Veal
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Veal is the meat of calves (young cattle). Though veal can be produced from any calf, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds. Compared to other meats, veal has a delicate taste and tender texture.
e are four types of veal:
Veal is often compared to beef but is lighter in colour and finer in texture and veal usually comes from a (male) dairy calf.
The veal industry's support for the dairy industry goes beyond the purchase of surplus calves.
Nutrition Facts
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Encyclopedia
Veal is the meat of calves (young cattle). Though veal can be produced from any calf, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds. Compared to other meats, veal has a delicate taste and tender texture.
Types
There are four types of veal:
- Bob Veal, from calves that are culled a few days after birth when they weigh 150 lb. (USA only)
- Formula-Fed (or "milk-fed") veal, from calves that are raised on a nutritionally complete milk formula supplement. The meat colour is ivory or creamy pink, with a firm, fine and velvety appearance. Usually marketed as veal when they reach 18-20 weeks of age (450-500 lb).
- Non-Formula-Fed ("red" or "grain-fed") veal, from calves that are raised on grain, hay or other solid food in addition to milk. The meat is darker in colour, and some additional marbling and fat may be apparent. Usually marketed as calf rather than veal at 22-26 weeks of age (650-700 lb).
- Rosι Veal UK is from calves reared on farms in association with the UK RSPCA's stringent Freedom Foods programme. Its name comes from its pink colour, which is a result of the calves being culled at around 35 weeks.
Veal is often compared to beef but is lighter in colour and finer in texture and veal usually comes from a (male) dairy calf.
The veal industry's support for the dairy industry goes beyond the purchase of surplus calves. It also buys large amounts of milk by-products. Almost 70% of veal feeds (by weight) are milk products. Most popular are whey and whey protein concentrate (WPC) by-products of the manufacture of cheese. Milk by-products are sources of protein and lactose. Skimmed milk powder, casein, buttermilk powder and other forms of milk by-products are used from time to time.
Culinary uses
Veal has been an important ingredient in Italian and French cuisine since ancient times. The veal is often in the form of cutlets, such as the Italian cotoletta or the famous Austrian dish Wiener Schnitzel. As veal is lower in fat than many meats, care must be taken in preparation to ensure that it does not become tough.
In addition to providing meat, the bones of calves are used to make a stock that forms the base for sauces and soups such as demi-glace. The stomachs are also used to produce rennet, used in the production of cheese.
Production
Before the 1960s, milk-fed veal was raised primarily by the dairy farmer as a method of gaining some economic advantage from the many bull calves born each year that were not required for breeding. Eventually, the farmer found that raising this young animal and meeting the specific needs of the calf proved challenging in the midst of the mature cattle members of his herd.
Early producers found that a separate micro-climate was the only means of raising a calf through the perils of early growth. The growing stall was thus born. In the beginning these separated growing areas were almost totally enclosed. This was thought to curtail the spread of disease and provide a clean and comfortable environment in which the calf could flourish. Mortality was reduced substantially and product quality and quantity improved. As time and management philosophy developed the stall was changed. It became larger and more open. The stall also provided an opportunity for individual handling of the calf. However, many animal welfare activists oppose the use of these crates. Veal crates were banned in the UK (under the 1987 "Welfare of Calves Regulations" which came into effect in 1990) and throughout the European Union in 2007.
There has been some controversy in veal-raising methods over the years, including housing, use of antibiotics and hormones. In Europe, these issues have all been addressed. In North America, there has been a general lag in these areas but there is no use of hormones now and use of antibiotics follows withdrawal guidelines. This is actively monitored by government agencies. The AVA (American Veal Association) announced in 2007 a 10 year phasing out of "crates".
In North America, there has been a recent move to more group housing, although it has been used since 1981 in various forms.
Housing
There are primarily three different types of housing used for veal calves: hutches, stalls, or various types of group housing.
Hutches
While calves are young and most vulnerable to disease, they are kept in hutches, which keep them warm and isolated. Food, water, and straw bedding are freely avaliable to the calves. Attention is paid to individual calves to monitor feed consumption and health. When they are less vulnerable, they are moved to either stalls or group housing.
Stalls
Calves kept in stalls have just enough room to stretch and lie down. While they cannot move around much, they receive more individual attention from veal producers who can monitor their health and food intake. It is also a cleaner environment, reducing the chance of spreading disease.
Group Housing
Group pens are inexpensive to build and maintain, but good management is required to track and treat individual animals. Calves have more social contact with other calves, but this also increases bullying and other agressive behaviour between animals, increasing the risk of injury and infection. More animals sharing the same space also makes it more time consuming to clean the pen.
Mostly associated with the organic meat industry, open straw yards are a variant of group housing with straw bedding, giving the calves access to more dietary fiber.
Feeding
Milk-fed veal calves consume a diet consisting of milk replacer, formulated with mostly milk-based proteins with added vitamins and minerals to provide a balanced nutritional solution. Calves have access to water and often to roughage such as coarse grains.
Grain-fed calves normally consume a diet of milk replacer for the first 6-8 weeks. They also have access to water and roughage such as hay during this time. The calves then move on to a corn-based grain feed.
Animal welfare
Veal is still a controversial issue in terms of animal welfare.
There is adequate scientific evidence available to support complaints that despite careful management a significant proportion of "special-fed" calves will inevitably experience health problems including pneumonia, clinical anemia, and stomach ulcers.
Refinements such as group housing begin to address some complaints about veal raising such as the use of small stalls in which animals cannot socialize normally, and in some countries, such as the UK, stalls have been banned mainly due to the lack of animal welfare associated with the rearing procedure. In addition to not allowing calves to socialize normally, stalls prevent calves from being able to move. Though this method provides for tender veal due to lack of muscle usage, it is considered by animal welfare advocates to be cruel. Many issues remain unresolved including practices relating to weaning, transportation, social grouping, feeding methods and nutrition that continue to place stresses on calves that have demonstrably negative effects on their health and behavior.
Alternative agricultural practices for using male dairy calves include raising Bob veal (immediate slaughter), raising as "red veal" without the severity of dietary restrictions needed to create pale meat (resulting in fewer antibiotic treatments and fewer
culled calves), and as dairy beef.
External links
- of the American Veal Farming Industry.
- Ontario Veal Industry in Canada.
- The cost of abandoning veal crates, from the Humane Society of the United States.
- Dutch veal farming from Beef magazine.
- Veal Industry in the USA.
- Veal calf raising and veal recipes.
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