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Veal is a meat produced from calves. There are three types of veal: "Bob" veal (calves slaughtered when only a few days old), formula-fed veal, and nonformula-fed veal or "red veal". Nonformula-fed veal calves are given grain, hay, or other solid food in addition to milk. Formula-fed (or "milk-fed") veal calves are raised in confinement on a solely liquid diet. The humane movement is most concerned with this group. The consumption of veal is an important part of the Italian and French diets, and the ancient part of these cultures. Due to the toughness of nonformula-fed veal, these groups are unlikely to see it as a substitute. Julia Child remarked in her The Way to Cook that nonformula-fed veal ought to be called calf. Veal bones are used to make veal stock, a base for many sauces and soups found in French cuisine, including demi-glace. The origin of veal is principally as a by-product of dairy production. Dairy cows must regularly produce offspring in order to produce milk. Although the female calf may be kept to be raised into a dairy cow, male calves have no commercial use except as veal. The stomachs of slaughtered veal calves are often used to produce rennet, which is a common ingredient in cheese.
Controversy Formula-fed veal calves are traditionally raised by restricting their physical movement in order to minimize the growth of tough muscle fiber and to keep their flesh white and tender. The finest veal meat comes from unweaned calves. Formula-fed veal farming is universally condemned by animal rights activists and other sympathizers and is used as an example of the cruelty of modern large scale animal farming. In the United Kingdom, where animal rights activism has had significant success, traditional formula-fed veal production has become rare for this reason. In addition, the member nations of the European Union (including Italy, where veal is extremely popular) have banned the use of veal crates and anemia inducing diets, effective 2007.• Most veal in Europe is currently produced in the Netherlands, where animal rights laws are slightly more relaxed. The UK has banned all veal farming, but still attracts critisicm from animal rights groups on the ground that it exports a large number of young veal cows to the Netherlands. Health risks posed by illegal administration of antibiotics to veal calves are similar and by no means unique to those posed by administration of antibiotics to other human-consumed livestock. Some critics of veal-farming have alleged that farmers compensate for unhealthy living conditions by administering tranquilising medication and high levels of antibiotics. Whilst illegal administration of antibiotics, particularly neomycin, is on the rise, administration of tranquilising medication is not widespread practice nor is it documented in any credible scientific literature. Additionally, recent studies indicate that health threats caused by consumption of antibiotics in veal pose small clinical consequences for humans. •• Advocates for the veal industry counter that modern veal farms provide clean, well-lit and -ventilated environments, with enough room for calves to "stand, stretch, groom themselves and lay ''sic'' down in a natural position." • As veal calves are typically at risk of becoming anemic—resulting in weakness and loss of appetite— veal industry advocates assert that modern farmers also feed calves a carefully controlled, iron-rich diet.• Popular Culture Veal is the subject of the South Park episode Fun With Veal. | ||||||||
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