Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed; however, most veal comes from young males of dairy breeds who are not used for breeding. Generally, veal is more expensive than beef from older cattle.
Some methods or aspects of veal production are controversial due to animal welfare concerns.
There are several types of veal, although some terminology varies by country. Types of veal include:
Veal has been an important ingredient in Italian and French cuisine from ancient times. The veal is often in the form of cutlets, such as the Italian cotoletta or the famous Austrian dish Wiener Schnitzel. Some classic French veal dishes include fried escalopes, fried veal Grenadines (small, thick fillet steaks), stuffed paupiettes, roast joints, and blanquettes. Because veal is lower in fat than many meats, care must be taken in preparation to ensure that it does not become tough. Veal is often coated in preparation for frying or eaten with a sauce. Veal Parmigiana is a common Italian-American dish made with breaded veal cutlets.
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. Calf stomachs are also used to produce rennet, which is used in the production of cheese. Calf offal is also widely regarded as the most prized animal offal. Most valued are the liver, sweetbreads, kidney, and bone marrow. The head, brains, tongue, feet, and mesentery are also valued.
Male dairy calves are commonly used for veal production as they do not lactate and are therefore surplus to the requirements of the dairy industry.
Newborn veal calves are generally given only a limited amount of time with their mothers, varying from a few hours to a few days. Free-raised calves are raised alongside their mothers, and always have access to their mothers' milk.
- Bob veal
- Calves are slaughtered when only a few weeks old (at most 1 month old) weighing up to 60Â lb.
- Formula-fed ("white" or "milk-fed") veal
- Calves are raised on a milk formula supplement. The meat colour is ivory or creamy pink, with a firm, fine, and velvety appearance. The calves are usually slaughtered when they reach 18 to 20 weeks of age, weighing 450 to 500 pounds (200 to 230Â kg).
- Nonuniformula-fed ("red" or "grain-fed") veal
- 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. It is usually marketed as calf, rather than veal. The calves are slaughtered at 22 to 26 weeks of age weighing 650 to 700 pounds (290 to 320Â kg).
- Rose veal (in the UK)
- Young beef (in Europe)
- Calves raised on farms in association with the UK Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Freedom Food programme. The name comes from the pink colour, which is partly a result of the calves being slaughtered later at about 35 weeks of age.
- Pasture-raised veal
- Special-fed veal
- Calves are fed a balanced milk or soy-based diet, fortified with 40 essential nutrients, including essential amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, dietary iron and other dietary minerals and vitamins. As of 2013, the majority of veal calves in the US are special-fed.
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New York (proposed in Jan. 2013 and 2014)
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Massachusetts (House and Senate bills filed annually since 2009; current bills would take effect one year after passage)
- Costa, J.H.C., von Keyserlingk, M.A.G. and Weary, D.M. (2016). Invited review: Effects of group housing of dairy calves on behavior, cognition, performance, and health. Journal of Dairy Science, 99(4), 2453-2467.
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