Veal production has historically been associated with severe welfare problems, but significant reforms have improved conditions in many countries while challenges remain.
Traditional veal production was specifically designed to produce pale, tender meat through severe animal suffering - iron-deficient diets caused anemia, individual stalls prevented movement and normal social behavior, and calves spent their brief lives in chronic frustration and deprivation. EU reforms showed that consumer pressure and regulatory action can achieve transformative welfare improvements. Rose veal calves in group systems with bedding, roughage and iron can express social behavior and develop more normally. The challenge is that male dairy calves are still often killed at birth in countries where veal markets don't exist - a welfare problem solved by finding humane uses for these animals.