Is it cruel to eat veal?

In the minds of many, the veal industry is barbaric and inhumane, but this article on British veal production methods and the treatment of calves explains that the animals can be treated well with little difference in the quality of the meat.

The people of Britain are often viewed by the rest of Europe as slightly mad when it comes to their love of animals. They love them in the wild, in fields, in their homes and on their laps. Nevertheless, with a vegetarian population of a mere 5% it is fair to say that they also love animals on their plates. Undoubtedly, there are those who consider it barbaric, two-faced, and perverse for people to profess their love of animals whilst, at the same time, enjoying eating them. Indeed there is nothing quite like a label declaring “freedom food”, “organic”, or “free range” on meats or animal derived products to reassure those who do indulge that they have done their best by their fellow creatures and helped in their stance against animal cruelty.

It is because of this sense of fairness that images of calves in crates, fed only on milk, unable to stand and kept in the dark, make many people angry, guilty, and averse to veal and to those responsible for producing it. As a result, consumption of veal in Britain is uncommon. Brits love their meat but they simply will not stomach any cruelty used in its production. The good news is that veal can be produced humanely with animal welfare as a priority.

Rosé veal is humane veal

For many years now, Britain has been producing something called rosé veal. If you still don’t like the idea of calves being slaughtered at six months, then you’re not going to want rosé veal, but if it is the cruelty inflicted on the animals for the duration of their short lives that upsets you, then this could be right up your street.

Rosé veal is produced by raising calves in a humane way. They go out in the fields, have straw bedding, a proper diet and live happy though admittedly short lives. If you are happy to eat lamb, however, then you should be fine.

As the name suggests, rosé veal is light pink rather than near white, the flavour is as delicate as you’d expect and the texture is beautifully succulent, despite the animal having been allowed to move its muscles regularly. This is a far cry from the veal produced in continental Europe where calves, though no longer kept in crates, still struggle to stand on slatted floors.

Lower veal consumption in Britain means increased suffering

So the Brits can feel reassured once again that they are doing the best for their animals… or can they?

Because very little veal is currently consumed in Britain, calves are being sent over to the European mainland so that they can be raised for veal using cruel methods. In other words, despite improvements in veal production, the British moral stance against veal is, ironically, causing further cruelty to animals.

A side-effect of dairy farming

The less British veal eaten, the more calves are sent to the continent. The answer is not to simply stop breeding calves. Calves are produced as a byproduct of dairy farming and though many females are allowed to grow and join dairy herds, bulls in particular will be sent to the continent for mistreatment and slaughter.

Animal lovers and milk drinkers should, therefore, take heart; eating British veal keeps calves in Britain where their short lives will be happy and comfortable.