Veal

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Veal is the meat of a young cattle (calf). Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds. Compared to beef, veal has a delicate taste and tender texture.

Contents 1 Types 2 Culinary uses 3 Production 3.1 Housing 3.2 Feeding 4 Animal welfare 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Types

There are four types of veal:

• Bob Veal, from calves that are slaughtered a few days after birth when they weigh 150 lb. (USA only)^[1]
• 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 slaughtered when they reach 18–20 weeks of age (450-500 lb). ^[2]
• Non-Formula-Fed ("red" or "grain-fed") ^[3] 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).
• Rosé 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 slaughtered at around 35 weeks. ^[4]

Veal is often compared to beef but is lighter in colour and finer in texture, and usually comes from a (male) dairy calf.^[5]

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. ^[6]

[edit] 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. Veal is the source of calf liver.

[edit] Production

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There has been some controversy in veal-raising methods over the years, including housing, use of antibiotics and hormones. Veal crates (individual stalls often too small for the animal to turn around) were banned in the UK (under the 1987 "Welfare of Calves Regulations" which came into effect in 1990)^[7] and throughout the European Union in 2007.

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".^[8] In North America, there has been a recent move to more group housing, although it has been used since 1981 in various forms.

[edit] Housing

There are primarily three different types of housing used for veal calves: hutches, stalls, or various types of group housing. ^[9]

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 available 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Animal welfare

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Veal is still a controversial issue in terms of animal welfare.^{[10][unreliable source?]}

Refinements such as group housing^[11] 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.^[12][13] 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,^{[citation needed]} it is considered by many animal welfare advocates^[who?] to be cruel. Many issues remain unresolved including practices relating to weaning, transportation, social grouping, feeding methods^[14] and nutrition that continue to place stresses on calves that have demonstrably negative effects on their health and behavior.^{[citation needed]}

Alternative agricultural practices for using male dairy calves include raising Bob veal (immediate slaughter), raising as "red veal" without the severity^{[weasel words]} of dietary restrictions needed to create pale meat (resulting in fewer antibiotic treatments and fewer culled calves),^[15] and as dairy beef.^[16]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on Veal

Look up veal in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Frequently Asked Questions of the American Veal Farming Industry.
• Provitello Farms - Progressive veal farming in the USA
• Ontario Veal Association — Ontario Veal Industry in Canada.
• The Economic Consequences of Adopting Alternative Production Systems to Veal Crates — The cost of abandoning veal crates, from the Humane Society of the United States.
• Thinking Outside the Box — Dutch veal farming from Beef magazine.
• Veal Farm — Veal Industry in the USA.
• Veal Information Gateway — Veal calf raising and veal recipes.
• Veal Recipes.A collection of recipes for various cuts of veal. Tips on cooking, selection and handling of veal.
• Videos of Veal Farming The evolution of Veal Raising practices from the early 1980's to the present.