Why do people like veal

To keep producing milk, a dairy cow has to produce calves each year—about half of which are born as bull calves. The lives of surviving bull calves can take three paths, according to Marissa Hake, staff veterinarian at Midwest Veal, North Manchester, Indiana.

The third line is to become a veal calf, which is solely based on demand. Siegel, in turn, put some of the onus on supermarkets to help break down consumer misconceptions and lack of context for working with veal, particularly in our era of one-stop shopping.

We now depend on grocery stores for that. We have to work together to do that. Sign in. Log into your account. Forgot your password? Password recovery.

Recover your password. Get help. We Are Chefs. Springing Into Action. Managing High Volume Today. Classical vs. Sous Vide…. These long journeys on transport trucks can be grueling, spanning many miles, leaving calves without food or water and passing through all weather conditions: hot days, frigid nights, or frightening storms. A study published in found that health problems increased in calves during the three weeks following transport. Calves developed sunken eyes from dehydration, navel inflammation, and respiratory symptoms.

Veal cattle are killed while they are still babies, their bodies so weak that some can barely walk to the slaughter line. On the killing floor, calves are stunned with a bolt gun, electric shock, or other means to knock them unconscious before hanging them upside down by their back legs and cutting their throats. But all too often this stunning process fails, leaving some calves conscious when their throats are slit. Veal production is synonymous with abuse of baby cattle.

To create tender meat for veal, these calves also suffer in a severely restricted environment. Veal crates are tiny spaces designed to prevent calves from moving. Because muscles make meat tougher, baby cows in veal crates are confined from running, jumping, or even walking to produce the most tender veal. In some cases, calves are chained in place within their crates. Due to their cruelty, these crates have been banned in the UK and Europe.

Multiple US states have banned them, too, including California, through its landmark legislation, Proposition Extreme confinement takes a devastating toll on the bodies of calves. Denied exercise and adequate nutrition, their muscles become weak and atrophy.

The distressed calves often bite at the bars of their crates, become lethargic, or roll their tongues. Researchers believe the stress of being separated from their mothers and severely confined can trigger stereotypy—and that these repetitive behaviors can be reduced by providing more space and group housing to foster companionship.

The problem with veal is that baby cattle are fed a liquid-based diet , which can leave them unable to properly digest their food and absorb minerals.

Additionally, the lack of iron in their diet leaves veal calves anaemic. Veal calves are also prone to ulcers and other painful stomach lesions, possibly caused by large and infrequent milk feedings administered through bottles. In a heartbreaking reminder that these are lonely baby animals , research found fewer lesions in calves who were handled gently, petted, and allowed to suck on fingers—which simulates nursing from their mothers.

Meat producers often feed calves antibiotic medications to prevent disease, which runs rampant on overcrowded factory farms. While drugs can help to prevent disease, they can also cause harm. Studies found that some farmed calves experienced overdoses of doxycycline, a medication that was given to treat respiratory illness. Despite this, in researchers found the use of doxycycline in veal calves had increased.

Respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, are among the most common in veal calves. Calves can also suffer from otitis, an ear infection that often occurs alongside respiratory infections. Diarrhea is another serious concern tied to their formula diet, sometimes causing skin rashes and burns. On top of the everyday suffering endured by calves on veal farms, horrific abuse is also rampant in this industry. Undercover investigations have revealed calves being kicked , beaten , and jumped on.

Typically, instead of living on his mother's milk, the calf is fed a synthetic formula that is intentionally low in iron to keep the animal anemic and keep the flesh pale. The calves used in veal production are a by-product of the dairy industry. Adult female cows used in dairy production are kept pregnant in order to keep up their milk supply. The males who are born are useless because they do not make milk and they are the wrong breed of cow to be useful in beef production.

Some of the female calves will be raised to become dairy cows like their mothers, and the rest are turned into veal. Calves destined to become veal spend most of their to week lives confined to small wooden or metal cages known as veal crates. This crate is barely larger than the calf's body and too small for the animal to turn around. Calves are also sometimes tethered so that they don't move around too much, which keeps the flesh tender.

Fortunately, veal crates have been banned in some states including California, Arizona, and Maine. Bob veal and slink veal come from newborn calves which were just a few days or weeks old at slaughter. Slink and slink veal comes from unborn, premature, or stillborn calves.

Unborn calves are sometimes found when an adult cow is slaughtered and happens to be pregnant at the time of slaughter. Meat from unborn calves is now illegal for human consumption in the U. As crates are being phased out, bob veal is gaining in popularity.

Without the confinement of a crate, the calves move around and their muscles toughen. Because the calves slaughtered for bob veal are so young, their muscles have not yet developed and are very tender, which is considered desirable. Some farmers now offer "humane veal," meaning meat from calves that are raised without veal crates.

While this addresses some people's concerns about veal, animal advocates tend to believe that "humane veal" is an oxymoron.