UNCOVERED: THE VEAL CONFUSION

British veal receives lots of attention, most recently in The Evening Standard’s coverage of our undercover investigations. From celebrity endorsement – through high profile programmes such as the F Word and River Cottage – to retailers replacing imported veal with British alternatives, our national veal industry has been praised for providing a higher welfare alternative to intensively reared veal.

Here at Compassion, we know over a quarter of the British public eats veal (YouGov 2008) and we want them all to choose British but how easy is it to tell what’s on the menu?

We went to investigate.

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As more and more people ask where restaurants source their products from, staff must be able to answer their questions. But, does it really matter where the veal comes from? Compassion believes so, as all veal is not the same.

British veal

Calves used in the British veal industry are male dairy calves; generally considered a waste product, they cannot produce milk and many are considered unsuitable for beef production. As a result, in 2008 around 115,000 British male dairy calves were shot at birth.

By rearing these calves for British veal, we believe they are given a life worth living. The calves are reared in groups and must be provided with bedding which gives them a comfortable floor surface. Young calves are supplied double the amount of fibrous food compared with EU requirements, and older calves have greater space allowance than stipulated in EU law.

And, last but not least, these calves have not endured long distance transport to reach the rearing units.

Dutch veal

Dutch, milk-fed veal comes from The Netherlands, one of the EU’s biggest veal producers. Here, the calves are reared to EU standard: in barren conditions on fully-slatted floors. This type of flooring makes it difficult for calves to stand up and lie down, and increases the risk of foot injuries and lameness. Although not in crates, but reared in groups from the age of eight weeks, the space they are allowed makes it difficult for the calves to express their natural behaviour.

Evidence shows that the EU minimum iron requirement may be too low for full health and robustness. Anaemia damages the immune system and causes calves to be weak, lethargic and probably feel unwell.

And finally, around three quarters of a million calves are imported to The Netherlands for veal production each year, of which at least 300,000 are subject to long distance journeys before they get there. Evidence shows that young calves are unable to cope with the stresses of handling and transport. Many calves become ill or die after they arrive in the rearing farms as a result of the stress of transport.

What to look out for

So, it’s clear to us that choosing British veal is choosing a higher welfare alternative. But, what can you do when staff say their veal is British? Here are some tips on what you can look out for next time you are faced with the dilemma:

‘Milkfed veal’ is considered synonymous with intensively reared veal from the Continent. Calves are fed a low-iron diet, mainly milk or milk-replacer, in order to keep the meat pale in colour. This is also called ‘white’ veal. Compassion has great concerns about the EU veal rearing standard.

There are higher welfare alternatives. Know what to look for and be specific when you ask the staff!

Remember that British veal will most often be pinker in colour, as the calves are given a diet with more fibre. However, be aware of Continental rosé veal; although provided a more natural diet, these calves – unlike British veal calves – are still reared in low welfare systems.

And finally, if it doesn’t specify on the menu that the veal is British, assume that it isn’t. Retailers, restaurants, butchers and delis should be proud to offer this higher welfare alternative.