Veal Calf Welfare: White Veal, Rose Veal, and Reform

Veal production has historically subjected male dairy calves to severe welfare deprivation; rose veal and reformed systems offer substantially better welfare outcomes for calves with commercial value.

Key Facts

Traditional white veal involves housing calves in individual crates on liquid diets to keep meat pale
Individual veal crates were banned in the EU in 2007 and in the UK from the early 1990s
Rose veal calves can move freely, eat roughage, and express social behaviors
Approximately 90,000 male dairy calves are killed at birth annually in the UK alone
Giving male dairy calves commercial value through rose veal prevents waste and improves welfare outcomes

Welfare Considerations

Traditional white veal production subjected calves to extreme deprivation: individual crates preventing turning around, liquid-only diets causing iron deficiency and chronic hunger, and near-total social isolation. The reforms of the 1990s and 2007 were significant but incomplete — many countries still produce veal under poor conditions. Rose veal systems that allow movement, social contact, and solid food represent a meaningful welfare improvement while utilizing calves that would otherwise be killed without food use. The welfare hierarchy is clear: best for calves to nurse their mothers, then rose veal, then traditional white veal, then shot at birth.

What You Can Do

Choose rose veal over white veal if you consume veal products
Support retailers who source from certified higher-welfare rose veal systems
Advocate for the global phase-out of white veal production
Support campaigns to reduce male dairy calf culling through sex-sorted semen and dual-purpose breeds
Choose plant-based alternatives where animal welfare cannot be verified