About calves reared for veal
Traditional veal crate, now banned in EU
Veal is the meat from calves, usually aged up to 8 months. They are most often from dairy breeds that have been selectively bred for increased milk yield. The resulting animal is not considered to produce beef of a satisfactory quantity or quality to be dual purpose.
Male dairy calves, producing no milk, are sold to a veal farm if a buyer can be found. Otherwise, a shotgun is the most cost effective option for the farmer.
White or rosé?
The most common type of veal produced is white veal. This is the meat of calves, often less than 6 months old, who have been fed a diet of milk, or a milk replacer which is low in iron, to keep the flesh pale in colour.
Pink (rosé) veal is the meat of calves aged up to 8 months fed on solid food, higher in iron, making the flesh darker pink.
Although not a common choice in the UK , veal farms are currently widespread in Europe.
Commercial Veal Production
Veal production typically involves removing calves from their mother shortly after birth and transporting them to specialist veal farms for rearing.
Veal production in the UK
Very few calves are reared for veal in the UK because of a lack of demand.
Surplus calves from UK dairy herds are often sold for live export to be reared in European veal farms, particularly in the Netherlands. Wherever the calf is to be reared, it is sent there at an early age via live transport.
Unlike the rest of the EU, the law requires calves in the UK to be provided with bedding. In the UK there is also a larger minimum space allowance for older calves and younger calves must be given more fibre.
If a buyer cannot be found, calves are often shot at birth. It is estimated that in 2007, around a quarter of a million dairy calves were deemed surplus to the requirements of the UK dairy or beef industry and were exported or shot at birth.
Veal production in Europe
In 2005, over 4.5 million calves were reared for slaughter in Europe. Of these, 1.5 million were reared in Spain, over 800000 in the Netherlands, over 600000 in France and 500000 in Italy. Some of these calves come from the UK and have been transported long distances at as young as two weeks old.
Intensive veal in EU
Since the ban on veal crates was introduced in January 2007, calves up to eight weeks old may be kept in individual pens, where they can turn around and be in contact with other calves.
After this, they are reared in groups of up to 80 calves, often in sheds with a wooden slatted floor.
The majority of.European veal production is for white veal. From the age of two weeks, by law, their diet has to include a daily minimum fibrous content so that their digestive system can develop properly. It must also contain sufficient iron to prevent anaemia. However, scientific evidence suggests that these minimum amounts of fibrous food and iron are still too low.
Unlike the UK, since it is not a legal requirement, in the EU most veal calves are not provided with bedding.
Veal crates
Now illegal in the UK and Europe, these are narrow crates that prevent the calf from turning around. Calves are sometimes tied by their necks. Veal crates are still in use in other countries, including the US.
To keep the flesh pale, calves are fed an unhealthy diet of milk with no, or far too little, solid food. The calves can become so anaemic that they would die before adulthood. Their diet also prevents their digestive system from developing properly.
Public pressure in the US has resulted in some major producers phasing out the use of veal crates and they are to be made illegal in Arizona.
The intensive rearing and transport of calves raises many concerns about their welfare.