Veal production systems vary considerably in welfare quality, with traditional white veal involving extreme confinement and dietary restriction now banned across much of Europe.
Traditional white veal production involved calves confined individually, fed liquid-only diets to maintain pale meat color, and prevented from expressing any normal social or movement behavior. This represented one of the most extreme welfare-compromising systems in livestock farming. The EU ban on veal crates was a significant welfare advance. Rose veal, raised in group housing with solid feed access, produces a welfare-positive alternative that addresses the bobby calf problem while providing ethically acceptable veal for the market.