Demand for Veal Versus Veal Calves Welfare
Demand for Veal versus Veal Calves Welfare
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Meat demand is rapidly rising around the world; this can be contributed to the economic growth in third world countries. As the third world countries standard of living and buying power increases, so does the demand for the expensive protein, meat. As meat becomes less and less a sign of status and power, the worldwide demand for meat will increase, and this will lead to a need to increase the production of meat in the countries which produce the product . As societies evolve, we must be sure that the animals welfare does not get left behind. As Cathy Liss (2007) says,"we need to promote and insist on a complete overhaul in the way farm animals are kept that brings them back to being animals not meat- or milk-producing machines or objects." Today one can use the booming veal industry to examine and help prevent problems that may arise in the not-so- distant future.
Understanding what veal is, how it is raised, and who is buying it can help consumers better understand what is necessary and what can be changed within the industry. Veal is defined by Webster's dictionary (2006) as the flesh of a young calf. This calf is usually a bull calf born to a dairy cow although there are exceptions to this rule. Veal as we know it today had its origins in Europe. According to the Veal Quality Assurance Program & Veal Issues Management (2007), prior to the mid-60s, veal was produced solely in Europe with many U.S. dairy farmers selling skim milk - a natural by-product of butter and cheese processing - to veal producers in the Netherlands. Dutch veal producers found that feeding veal calves a diet of skim milk, whey and fat led to increased weights and improved meat quality. Only after this discovery, did the veal industry make its debut in the United States.
When the industry crossed the ocean to the United States, it brought along with it a conventional way to raise the veal calves, crates. These crates are
952795
Meat demand is rapidly rising around the world; this can be contributed to the economic growth in third world countries. As the third world countries standard of living and buying power increases, so does the demand for the expensive protein, meat. As meat becomes less and less a sign of status and power, the worldwide demand for meat will increase, and this will lead to a need to increase the production of meat in the countries which produce the product . As societies evolve, we must be sure that the animals welfare does not get left behind. As Cathy Liss (2007) says,"we need to promote and insist on a complete overhaul in the way farm animals are kept that brings them back to being animals not meat- or milk-producing machines or objects." Today one can use the booming veal industry to examine and help prevent problems that may arise in the not-so- distant future.
Understanding what veal is, how it is raised, and who is buying it can help consumers better understand what is necessary and what can be changed within the industry. Veal is defined by Webster's dictionary (2006) as the flesh of a young calf. This calf is usually a bull calf born to a dairy cow although there are exceptions to this rule. Veal as we know it today had its origins in Europe. According to the Veal Quality Assurance Program & Veal Issues Management (2007), prior to the mid-60s, veal was produced solely in Europe with many U.S. dairy farmers selling skim milk - a natural by-product of butter and cheese processing - to veal producers in the Netherlands. Dutch veal producers found that feeding veal calves a diet of skim milk, whey and fat led to increased weights and improved meat quality. Only after this discovery, did the veal industry make its debut in the United States.
When the industry crossed the ocean to the United States, it brought along with it a conventional way to raise the veal calves, crates. These crates are