The Facts - Michigan’s Veal Industry 
written by: Justine DePalma
published on August 10, 2008

Note - All of the following facts were found on the websites of either the veal producers council, Michigan Department of Agriculture or USDA.

• Michigan is one of the largest veal “producers” in the United States.[i]
• Veal is the meat of male calves born to dairy cows.
• Veal calves do not spend even a day with their mothers after birth.[ii]
• The mothers are immediately placed back in the production line for milk for human use.
• Michigan veal calves are “formula” fed for their short lives of 5 months.[iii]
• Veal calves spend their entire lives in a crate that is just large enough for the calf to turn, lay down or stand up.[iv]
• Veal calves are not allowed to touch other calves or their mother or other cows for their entire existence.
• A veal calf may never see the sun, blue sky, green grass, a tree, breath fresh air, notice a butterfly or romp in a pasture.
• Veal calves are solely the product of the dairy industry.  The cow must become pregnant and give birth every year in order to continue to produce milk. Male calves are useless to the farmer, which is why the veal industry developed.[v]
• Veal calves are not allowed to consume the amount of iron necessary to keep their blood red. Iron is withheld to make the veal meat white or pale which is apparently something the consumer demands.[vi]
• Almost 74,000 Michigan calves were slaughtered for veal in April 2008.[vii]

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[i] According to the “Veal Farm” a website funded by the American Veal and Beef Producers, Michigan is one of the top 6 veal producing states.  http://www.vealfarm.com/industry-info/facts.asp

[ii] From the FAQ’s page of the Veal Farm website – “Q: How long does a veal calf stay with the dairy cow? When and why are calves separated from the cow?

A. Both male and female offspring of dairy cows are normally removed from cows soon after giving birth. This separation allows dairy cows to return to the herd and produce milk for human consumption. While calves are not with the dairy cow following birth, they still receive her colostrum, or first milk, within 24 hours. Full of antibodies and essential nutrients, colostrum gives the calves' immune systems a healthy boost. Early separation also allows the dairy farmer to measure the amount of colostrum the calf receives, within the proper time frame” See http://www.vealfarm.com/industry-info/faqs.asp.

 

[iii] According to Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigan veal are “formula fed”.  This means the calves never eat grass or grain, nor their mother’s milk (except for the first day).  Instead they are fed a specially manufactured

 [iv] “Q: How are veal calves housed?

A. Milk-fed veal calves are housed in a well-lit barn, allowing family veal farmers to easily monitor calves for changes in health, behavior and eating patterns.

Modern veal housing is designed to partition the animals only up to the shoulder level, ensuring calves visual and physical interactions with their neighbors. Calves are also tethered which allows farmers to gently and safely handle calves for purposes of contact, feeding, treatment and sanitizing, while also reducing the risk of calves harming themselves and each other. Calves can comfortably lie down in natural positions, stand up and groom themselves. This type of housing and tethering allows animals to receive their own feed, individual care and attention. Most importantly, individual housing has been shown to help prevent the spread of disease by limiting calf-to-calf contact while allowing socialization.”  http://www.vealfarm.com/industry-info/faqs.asp.

 [v] “Q: Where does veal come from?

A. Veal is a nutritious and nutrient-rich meat that is produced from the male offspring of dairy cows. Dairy cows give birth once a year in order to continue producing milk. While female offspring serve as dairy replacement animals, male calves had little value to the dairy farmer prior to the establishment of milk-fed veal farming.” http://www.vealfarm.com/industry-info/faqs.asp

 [vi] “ Q: Why is veal meat light in color?

A. The light meat results from the age of the calf and the level of myoglobin (iron content) in the muscle. Myoglobin produces a red pigment that affects the color of the meat. To keep the meat light, without harming calf health, the amount of iron a calf receives is controlled through a nutritionally balanced milk-based diet and monitored on a regular basis.”  http://www.vealfarm.com/industry-info/faqs.asp

 [vii] http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Michigan/Publications/Ag_Across_Michigan/aam06.txt

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