Veal Calf Welfare: From Crates to Group Housing

Veal production has historically involved some of the most severe welfare practices in animal agriculture, but significant reform has occurred.

Key Facts

Traditional white veal production confined calves individually in wooden crates too small to turn around for their entire lives
Veal crates were banned in the UK in 1990 and across the EU in 2007 — a landmark welfare reform
Iron-restricted diets that produced pale-colored meat have also been restricted in the EU
Rose veal — raised in groups with iron-containing diets and straw bedding — represents a higher welfare alternative
Male calves from dairy herds have historically been killed at birth; veal production provides one alternative use
Veal consumption has declined significantly in many countries as awareness of production conditions has grown

Welfare Considerations

Veal crate production caused immense suffering through complete confinement and iron-deficient anaemia deliberately induced to produce pale meat. The EU ban on veal crates was a major welfare achievement after decades of campaigning. Rose veal systems, where calves are raised in groups with adequate iron and space, represent a genuine welfare improvement and provide an alternative use for male dairy calves who would otherwise be killed at birth. Consumer preference for pale white veal has been the primary driver of the most extreme welfare problems in this sector, and changing this preference toward rose veal is an achievable consumer-driven welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose rose veal over white veal if you consume veal — the welfare difference is substantial
Support the development of rose veal markets as an alternative to killing male dairy calves at birth
Advocate for continued enforcement of veal crate bans in countries where they apply
Donate to organizations working to end the killing of newborn male dairy calves through alternative markets or in-ovo sexing