Vanessa Farquharson, Weekend Post

Published: Friday, April 16, 2010

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2916330

More than any other animal rights campaign, the demonization of veal farmers over the past few decades – with images of helpless calves crammed into tiny crates, tethered to prevent them from moving – has been incredibly pervasive.

Back in 1944, the average North American consumer was eating 8.6 pounds of veal each year; in 2004, it dropped to 0.41 pounds, where it remains today. Regardless of how many farmers actually raise calves in such despicable conditions, the stigma has stuck.

But does this mean there’s less of it? Hardly. What most people don’t realize is that the production of veal doesn’t occur due to consumer demand, but as a byproduct of the dairy industry. The more cheese, butter, yogourt and ice cream we consume, the more we rely on Holstein heifers (female cows) to produce milk.

Each year, these cows require a break from milking and their udders dry up. To get the milk flowing again, they must be impregnated, which means giving birth to a calf that probably isn’t needed at the farm. If it’s a female, it has the potential to be used for milk production, but chances are its mother won’t be ready to retire as Holsteins are good for about six years of service. If it’s a male, it serves no purpose at all.

In most cases, the calf ends up with three possible fates: It either goes to a veal farm, where it will live for another five to six months; gets slaughtered after two weeks and is marketed as “bob” veal; or is killed almost immediately, with its meat going into pet food.

While vegans may react to this by arguing we should consume less dairy, others believe the solution lies in re-evaluating both the dairy and veal industries to encourage more holistic farming practices.

Mario Fiorucci, owner of The Healthy Butcher in Toronto, insists there’s nothing morally reprehensible about eating meat from a young animal (chickens are typically slaughtered at five to nine weeks, pigs at 22 weeks, veal at six months), as long as it’s raised in a humane environment.

“We should be slaughtering at the age that will create the most value out of that animal,” he says. “Not in a monetary sense, but a holistic one, so we don’t have this glut in the market.”

Fortunately, the notion of sustainable veal is catching on: Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck now only serves humanely raised meat in his restaurants, including veal wiener schnitzel, and New York supermarket chain D’Agostino reports sales of its veal jumped 35% when it began carrying a “certified humane” brand.

In the small town of Paisley, Ont., farmers David and Ellen Weber are raising grass-fed veal on their local pastures. The cows naturally give birth during the spring, with calves suckling throughout the summer and fall before getting butchered in the early winter.

“A lot of people don’t want to buy veal for ethical reasons,” David Weber says, “so we’re trying to eliminate those reasons. But we have to feed our calves for an entire year, which costs more money.”

As well, the cows here are all Black Angus – a breed known for producing top-

quality steaks, not milk. Eating the Webers’ veal may be sustainable, but it doesn’t ease the excess supply of Holstein calves.

“With our herd, there’s no connection with the dairy sector,” he says. “We used to raise Holstein heifers conventionally, caring for them until they were ready to be milking cows, but then the [Canada-U.S.] border closed in 2003 with a case of mad cow. We lost so much money that time was right for going in a different direction.”

Weber explains that most dairy farmers aren’t interested in raising their leftover Holstein calves for veal, sustainable or otherwise, because they don’t make great steaks.

Thanks to years of careful breeding, these cows convert almost all of their food energy into milk, not muscle, which is why they tend to have large udders and bony behinds. The reasoning behind force-fed milk diets and confinement stalls is that these methods help transform the lean, tough muscle of a young Holstein into something more tender, and therefore more marketable to the consumer.

But while it may seem as though sustainable veal production is limited to what the Webers are doing with their Black Angus cows, farmers such as Bill Scheurman are proving otherwise.

At first, Scheurman ran a conventional dairy farm, but switched to organic. Now, he runs his operation out of Norwich, Ont., and has also started selling veal to Fiorucci – the meat comes from a calf that’s either a Holstein or an Ayrshire, a breed predominantly suited to dairy production but which can also be used for beef.

“It yielded quite well,” Fiorucci says. “I know another farmer, too, who’s converted his entire farm to cross-breeds from France called Montbeliard. So there’s a potential for dual-purpose breeds that may not be exceptional at beef or exceptional at dairy production, but do fairly well in both, so still have good value.”

Scheurman was willing to take a risk in raising organic veal from his Holstein herd partly because he’d had success years ago making the switch from conventional to organic.

“As farmers, we’re being force-fed in the wrong direction,” he says. “I used to put lots of chemicals on the land because I was told it’s the only way to do things. But then I learned that you can do things naturally, raise animals more safely and healthily. That’s important because my animals are more than just a number to me.”

And yet, despite Scheurman’s veal getting picked up by The Healthy Butcher, numerous barriers prevent other dairy farmers from following this model – economic circumstances don’t help, nor does the industrial agriculture system, which tends to value quantity over quality. This means dairy farmers have no financial incentive to experiment with other breeds or to use a Holstein for any purpose besides milk.

Part of the solution, therefore, involves the dairy industry re-evaluating its business model and working with veal farmers to create a more sustainable product. But it also comes down to consumers, who must be willing to pay more for humanely raised meat and pay closer attention to their food – and this goes beyond checking for labels that say “natural” or “organic,” or making a sweeping decision to never eat veal again.

“It’s an ongoing process of re-education,” Fiorucci says. “It’s great that more people are drinking organic milk, but they should realize that those cows are having calves once a year, and those calves are almost always dealt with in a very conventional, unsustainable way.”

 The V Word

Veal, gram for gram, contains less calories and half the fat of lean beef, yet contains similar amounts of micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of protein, vitamin B12 and zinc.

Veal contains very little fat, not more than 10 grams of fat per 100 grams, many of them unsaturated fats and because of this, veal is considered very lean.

Veal has many advantages. It is a valuable source of nutrients, it is tender, lean, digested easily and above all - just delicious.

Veal Nutrition Highlights

Veal, 3 oz. (85g) (loin, lean, roasted)
Calories: 149
Protein: 22g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 5.9g
Fiber: 0.0g
*Good source of: Zinc (2.7mg), Riboflavin (0.25 mg), and Vitamin B12 (1.1mcg)
*Excellent source of: Niacin (8.0mg)

Veal (ground) Complete Nutritional Value (for 100 g)

Calories 143
Carbohydrate 0.00 g
Protein 19.35 g
Fat 6.77 g
Water 72.84 g
Alanine 1.151 g
Arginine 1.138 g
Ash 1.04 g
Aspartic acid 1.669 g
Calcium, Ca 15 mg
Cholesterol 82 mg
Copper, Cu 0.109 mg
Cystine 0.218 g
Decanoic acid 0.010 g
Dodecanoic acid 0.020 g
Eicosatetraenoic acid 0.070 g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated 2.570 g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated 0.480 g
Fatty acids, total saturated 2.790 g
Fiber, total dietary 0.0 g
Folate, DFE 13 mcg_DFE
Folate, food 13 mcg
Folate, total 13 mcg
Folic acid 0 mcg

Glutamic acid 3.060 g
Glycine 0.994 g
Hexadecanoic acid 1.480 g
Hexadecenoic acid 0.290 g
Histidine 0.702 g
Iron, Fe 0.83 mg
Isoleucine 0.953 g
Leucine 1.540 g
Lysine 1.594 g
Magnesium, Mg 24 mg
Manganese, Mn 0.028 mg
Methionine 0.452 g
Niacin 7.500 mg
Octadecadienoic acid 0.360 g
Octadecanoic acid 0.920 g
Octadecatrienoic acid 0.040 g
Octadecenoic acid 2.210 g
Pantothenic acid 1.310 mg
Phenylalanine 0.781 g
Phosphorus, P 203 mg
Potassium, K 315 mg
Proline 0.808 g
Riboflavin 0.270 mg
Selenium, Se 8.1 mcg
Serine 0.725 g
Sodium, Na 82 mg
Tetradecanoic acid 0.260 g
Thiamin 0.080 mg
Threonine 0.845 g
Tryptophan 0.196 g
Tyrosine 0.617 g
Valine 1.069 g
Vitamin B-12 1.34 mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.410 mg
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 0.0 mg
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.26 mg
Zinc, Zn 3.06 mg

Data from USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21.

Check out our new TV Channel

Grober TV Channel - options - view full screen -  switch off channel or just sound – chat online.
Content - Veal Recipes – Veal Information – Veal Raising and Feeding

Please feel free  to contact us at veal.ca  if you need any more information about anything to do with Veal. We will do our best to answer your questions or at least point you in the right direction.

Please answer the above question by filling in the correct answer.
(We do this to help avoid spamming robots)

The Romans taste for young calves reached the point where the Emperor Alexander Severus (222-235AD) had to issue a decree forbidding their slaughter, since the breeding stock was being deprived.

A question exists as to who really created Wiener Schnitzel. While the Viennese (from Austria) are credited with this classic veal dish, the Milanese (from Italy) claim that as far back as 1134, when a banquet was given for the canon of Milan’s ancient Church of Sant’ Ambrogio, the menu included “lombolos cum panitio,” breaded veal scallops.

The Italians are also sometimes reported to have introduced veal into France via Catherine de’ Medici, the Italian-born Queen of France who reined from 1533 to 1589. It appears that Catherine did like veal, which was natural for anyone who came from Florence where veal was considered so luxurious that it was decreed if veal was served at a wedding dinner, no other meat could appear on the same menu. While Catherine did bring many Italian artists, poets, musicians, and dancing masters to France, historians counter that several veal recipes were located in France at least a century and a half (late 1300′a) prior to Catherine ascending to the French throne.

In England, two fifteenth-century cookbooks offer recipes for veal dishes; and one for a veal pasty appeared in The Forme of Cury, the date is 1378.

During the mid-1700′s, veal was immortalized by the Jean-Baptiste Oudry, in his still life oil on canvas painting entitled Veal depicted a Quarter of Veal along with wine and fruit.

The famous French writer and philosopher, Voltaire, used an offer of veal stock instead of traditional fatty sauces, called gravy, to entice his friend to come and visit him, during the mid-1700′s. Voltaire wrote to his friend Saint-Lambert, “Come to Ciety [where Voltaire was living] where Madame du Chatelet [his cook] will not let you be poisoned. There is not a spoonful of gravy in her cooking: everything is made with blond de veau [obtained by boiling veal shanks in water with carrots, onions, celery and a chicken carcass. We will live one hundred years and you will never die." [Voltaire did live to be 84.]

When God came to inform Abraham, that he would have a son, Abraham ran to the herd and selected a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant who hurried to prepare it. …and they did eat. Genesis 18:7 and 18:8.

Worshiping the Golden Calf

According to Exodus 32 of the Old Testament, the Jewish people created a golden calf despite being prohibited directed by God from praying to false idols. Various major pagan gods were represented as virile calves.

In the New Testament, feasting on the fatted calf conveyed an air of luxurious indulgence meant to mark a momentous occasion. In the story of the return of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), veal was served.

The New Testament also tells us that veal was served at The Wedding Feast (Matthew 22), confirming its importance as a long-standing tradition for matrimonial celebrations.

The Wedding Feast at Cana

Calves were commonly made use of in sacrifices, and are therefore frequently mentioned in Scripture. The “fatted calf” was regarded as the choicest of animal food; it was frequently also offered as a special sacrifice (Amos 6:4; Luke 15:23).

in Canada

Cambridge – Kitchener – Waterloo, Ontario

Verses Restaurant
182 Victoria St. N., Kitchener Ontario, Canada (519) 744-0144
A ‘Metropolitan’ dining experience offering exquisite food prepared with attention to visual detail & taste. An ambience like no other with stunning vantage points from every dining location in our restaurant.A unique dining location for corporate luncheons.

Chefs on King
271 King St. West Kitchener, Ontario Canada (519) 570-4642
New to the heart of downtown Kitchener, Chefs on King is sure to invigorate the senses with tantalizing cuisine that is both pleasing to the eyes as well as the palate. recipes

Blackshop
A Cambridge, Ontario landmark, this lively restaurant offers both inventive and traditional cooking, delivered in a casual yet elegant atmosphere. The restaurant’s ambiance is comfortable and appealing, providing quality food, at the right price in an unpretentious way. Located in historic downtown Galt, minutes from the 401.

Sole’
Sole’ Restaurant and Wine Bar is situated in a 150 year old Seagram’s building, minutes west of the Waterloo Ontario Uptown Core. The interior soars two stories high to a timber frame ceiling, exposed brick and generous wood finishes, set the tone for an elegant yet casual experience.

Toronto, Ontario

Country Style Hungarian Restaurant
450 Bloor St. W.
Toronto
416-536-5966

Bymark 66 Wellington St. W.
Toronto
416-777-1144

Vinny’s Panini
787 Dupont
Toronto, ON, M6G1Z5
(416) 531-9454
( Veal Sandwiches )

Mamma’s Pizza
807 Yonge St
 Toronto, ON
(416) 960-9988

California Sandwiches
244 Claremont St
Toronto, ON
(416) 603-3317
( Veal Sandwiches )

Royal Pizzeria
667 The Queensway
Etobicoke, ON
(416) 251-5877

Vincent’s Spot
2496 Kingston Rd
Scarborough, ON
(416) 267-2778 
( veal Cordon Bleu, Veal Picatta )

Paesano Pizzeria & Restaurant
396 Browns Line
Etobicoke, ON
(416) 251-7080 

Desserts Plus
8611 Weston Rd
Woodbridge, ON
(905) 265-1090 

Barbara Caffe
387 Barton St
Stoney Creek, ON
(905) 664-7316

Bluebird Cafe
100 Broadway
Orangeville, ON
(519) 941-3101

Mustachio Inc
91 Front St W
Toronto, ON, M5J1E5
(416) 368-5241
(Veal Sandwiches )

St. Lawrence Market
92 Front St E
Toronto, ON, M5E1C4
Website
(Veal Sandwiches)

San Francesco Foods
2979 Unity Gate
Mississauga, ON, L5L3E5
(905) 828-4444
(Veal Sandwiches)

Fusaro’s Kitchen
147 Spadina Ave #108
Toronto, ON, M5V2L7
Website
(416) 260-8414
(Veal Sandwiches)

Sanremo Bakery Inc
374 Royal York Rd
Etobicoke, ON, M8Y2R3
(416) 255-2808
(Veal Sandwiches)

Mamma Martino’s Pasta & Pizza
624 The Queensway #B
Etobicoke, ON, M8Y1K3
(416) 251-3337
(Veal Sandwiches)

Agincourt Home Bakery
3059 Pharmacy Ave
Scarborough, ON, M1W2H1
(416) 499-3467
(Veal Sandwiches)

Centro Panini
3883 Rutherford Rd Unit 17
Vaughn
905-266-0984
(Veal Sandwiches)

Hollywood Panini
9631 Yonge St.
Richmond Hill, ON, L4C0M5
Website
905-787-0388
(Veal Sandwiches)

City Pasta
76 Densley Ave
Toronto, ON
416-930-1228
(Veal Sandwiches)

Calgary AB

Nick’s Steakhouse & Pizza
2711 – 14th Street S.W.
Calgary, AB
225-8429
( Veal Cutlets, Veal Scallopini, Veal Parmesan, Veal & Pasta )

Vancouver BC

 La Rocca Ristorante Italiano
1565 Commercial Drive,
Vancouver BC, V5L 3Y1
604-253-1818

Nicks Spaghetti House
631 Commercial Drive,
Vancouver BC, V5L 3W3
604-254-5633

Frederico’s Supper Club
1728 Commercial Drive,
Vancouver BC, V5N 4A3
604-251-3473

Old Spaghetti Factory
53 Water Street,
Vancouver BC, V6B 1A1
604-684-1288

in the USA

Cantone’s Southern Italian Restaurant
(717) 652-9976
4701 Fritchey Street,
Harrisburg, PA, 17109
Italian family restaurant serving veal, pasta, steaks and seafood in a casual, family atmosphere. An extensive wine list is offered.

Alfred’s Victorian Restaurant
(717) 944-5373
38 North Union Street,
Harrisburg, PA, 17057
Dine in elegance in this beautiful Victorian building on delicious Italian cuisine featuring pastas, veal, chicken, seafood, and salads

Veal Links in Canada

Delft Blue is dedicated to the development and servicing of the North American veal market.

Ontario Veal Association Veal production and farming questions and answers. Concise, well laid out and informative.

Quebec Milk-Fed Veal   Full of information on veal production, cuts, cooking methods, tricks and tips. Also the complete site in French (Francais).

Veal links in USA

Veal Farm Promoting the American veal industry. Encouraging communications and distributing information pertinent to the veal industry.

Vealstore.com The site about veal for chefs, foodservice professionals and home cooks. Includes recipes, information about veal products, and general information about veal.
Veal Information links in Europe

Veal Promotion.com VanDrie veal promotion (v3PK) has aimed its recipe site for veal at European consumers. The site provides extensive information on veal and preparing veal. The site also offers interesting cooking tips, many delicious veal recipes, a cooking glossary and the option to send e-cards.

Calf Facts Many articles about raising calves and things associated with it by Sam Leadley

Cook Street is a world class chef cooking schools. Work with top chefs and take advantage of International partnerships.

A Different Viewpoint on Veal

In every household, meals are often designed around meat. The average family serves meat at least once a day. This is not surprising because meat and deli-meat provide important nutrients. Among the different types of meat, veal holds a special place. Veal is a delicacy with a fine structure.

Veal is tender, lean, mellow in taste and contains important minerals and vitamins. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, veal is important because of its high nutritional value, easy digestibility and a good alternative when keeping an eye on calories.

Good Nutrition is Important

The composition of our food is very important because many bodily functions are influenced by what we eat. Therefore, eating a variety of foods is the key. By varying the choice of our food, the body receives all the nutrients it needs. These nutrients are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and, we can find them in cereals, fruits and vegetables, dairy products and….veal.

Proteins are Indispensable

The human body consists of 10-15% protein. They form the building blocks for our body. Proteins are important for the building and maintenance of the condition of our skin, muscles, heart, organs and bones. For instance, children in their growing years need proteins for building strong bones. Pregnant women and mothers who are breastfeeding also require extra proteins.

Our body needs proteins to produce antibodies to defend us against viruses and bacteria. Therefore, sick people require more protein.

Body proteins break down after awhile, so it is essential to provide a new daily supply. This is possible to achieve from the food we consume. In a varied diet, veal is an excellent choice because it supplies an important high-quality protein. The proteins in veal look qua structure a lot like human proteins. That is why the human body easily absorbs the proteins from veal. The proteins in veal are also the reason why veal is so tender.

When cooking veal, proteins decrease their water-holding capacity producing a desirable juiciness. On heating, meat generally turns brown due to the formation of an oxidized pigment, present in meat proteins. In addition, there are further changes in proteins and amino acids with production of some volatile breakdown products that contribute to the flavour and odor of cooked veal.

Amino Acids

Proteins are made up of different amino acids. They all form different patterns that are different with each food item. In some foods, certain amino acids appear in abundance while in others, they are very low. Foods with a balanced amino acid profile contain what we call “proteins of a high quality” and are the most similar like human proteins. Therefore, these foods are the most desirable to cover the protein requirements of the consumer. Veal is One of These!

Veal is Lean

Our body needs fat, but we have to be critical of the quantity that we consume. Fats mainly supply lots of energy (calories).

The body will increase in weight if these fats are not sufficiently burned off. Research has shown that too much of a fatty diet will increase the chance of heart and coronary diseases. Not only the amount of fat that we eat plays a role but also the kinds of fats that we consume.

Saturated fats are the biggest culprits. Veal contains very little fat, not more than 10 grams of fat per 100 grams, many of them unsaturated fats and because of this, veal is considered very lean.

Fatty Acids

Fats are made up of fatty acids. There are different types that are categorized based on their chemical differences: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Because of these differences in composition, they do not react in the same way in the body. The saturated fatty acids increase the serum cholesterol content.

This is an important risk factor for heart and coronary diseases. In contrast, polyunsaturated fatty acids decrease the serum cholesterol content. After a recent investigation, monounsaturated fatty acids were also credited with this reaction.

The advice from experts are: “Of your total dietary fat intake, increase the unsaturated fats and decrease the saturated”

Carbohydrates

Proteins and fats are considered macronutrients. Carbohydrates also belong to this nutrient group and are a collective noun for starches and sugars – the energy suppliers. They specially appear in all grains, vegetables, fruits and other plant parts eaten by humans.

Meat and veal contain small amounts of carbohydrates.

Nevertheless, the small amount of carbohydrates that is present in veal has an important function. It ensures that when cooking veal it gets a nice brown colour. In addition, when carbohydrates are heated it creates an aromatic vapour that gives veal its nice smell and flavour.

Besides macronutrients, there are also micronutrients that we need; these are vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are chemical compounds that we find in food. There are thirteen vitamins, four are soluble in fat (vitamins A, D, E and K) and nine are soluble in water (B-complex vitamins and vitamin C). Each vitamin has its own task; for instance, they play a role in the development, restoration and the total functioning of the body.

Veal is an important source of B-complex vitamins. Veal has the advantage that in comparison little of the vitamins are lost during preparation (cooking).

Minerals

Minerals are important for body growth, in the composition of the blood and the proper condition of bone structure. At the cell level, they are an indispensable ingredient for all tissues and influence the reflexes of our muscles as well as keeping our body running like a well-oiled machine.

A major concern with our diets is the consumption of iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, fluorine and zinc.

Veal is a good source of these different minerals. Often by consuming 100 grams of veal, a good foundation is laid for the recommended daily nutrient intake of minerals that we need.

Veal and Diets

For many reasons, diets must be adjusted for special needs. Some diets need to be restricted in energy, sodium, and fat; others are specifically used in cases of diabetes mellitus or digestive problems. In the case of energy restricted and diabetes mellitus diets, it is important not to use an excessive amount of fat. Veal is lean and does not add extra calories. In addition, its content in sodium is low, being an excellent source for sodium restricted diets.

A Tickling for the Tongue

Veal has many advantages. It is a valuable source of nutrients, it is tender, lean and digested easily. But above all, veal is just delicious.

The French and Italians use veal extensively because of its gastronomic qualities. You can use many methods to prepare veal such as grilling, frying, roasting or stir-fry.

Veal works very well with sauces or herbs, also with red, white or rose wines. In short, veal is a (healthy) tickling for the tongue.

Veal producers already are making the transition to group housing in line with a commitment to social responsibility and their 10-year plan.

TRANSITION: Veal producers are transitioning from individual pen to group housing for veal calves over the next 10 years to meet customer and consumer concerns surrounding animal housing and to provide for the health, safety and well-being of their calves.

Link below to complete article

FoodLink artcile PDF

.

.