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There are a lot of bovine and other meat manufacturing practices that are heart breaking but I wanted to bring to light the veal issue in particular because we are going to have a veal campaign starting soon.
I had the opportunity to meet some rescued veal calves at Farm Sanctuary NY and learn a little more about the dairy/veal industry. Not all family run dairy farms participate in veal manufacturing so it's best to take each farm on a one on one basis and look into it for yourself.
In order to produce veal, young calves are taken from their mothers and chained by the neck in crates measuring just two feet wide. They cannot turn around, stretch their limbs, or even lie down comfortably. This severe confinement makes the calves' meat tender since the animals' muscles cannot develop.
Veal calves are fed an all-liquid milk substitute which is purposely deficient in iron and fiber. It is intended to produce borderline anemia and the pale-colored flesh fancied by "gourmets." At approximately twenty weeks of age, these animals are slaughtered and marketed as "white" veal. (last two paragraphs taken from Farm Sanctuaries no veal campaign)
(The following information is from vealfarm.com a veal promoting website) Seven primary veal producing states - Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Veal farmers purchase surplus dairy calves, primarily male Holstein calves, at about 100 pounds live weight and raise them for approximately 18-20 weeks, until they weigh upward of 475-500 pounds.
The special-fed veal industry contributes $250 million to the dairy industry through purchases of dairy by-products and calves.
First, and foremost, minimizing calf-to-calf contact is the best prevention against disease.
Please don't order veal!
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1:58 PM
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