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It's a simple request: "Rediscover veal" - and it's what the president of the American Veal Association (AVA) asks of consumers. Dale Bakke is confident people interested in issues such as sustainability, affordability and animal welfare will find veal to be a great option in the meat case.
"We're still celebrating our industry's total move to group housing - a goal achieved in 2017," says Bakke. "Given this and other changes AVA members have made in recent years, we're asking people to reconsider American milk-fed veal."
Bakke says the move to group housing has changed the way people view veal. One example is a Brooklyn, N.Y., woman who recently contacted AVA through its website to say her family had lifted a self-imposed 20-year ban on veal consumption after learning of the industry's move to group housing, which she considers a more humane way to raise veal calves. The woman said she and her mother are working to restore a 200-year-old family cookbook that features several veal dishes. The New York consumer praised the AVA for their leadership and expressed her appreciation for the resources on the AVA's website, www.AmericanVeal.com.
"And, that's just one example," Bakke says. "We've had a number of people say the new housing has given them renewed interest in eating veal again. Some farmers were reluctant to make the change initially when we made the announcement more than a decade ago. But I can honestly say everybody in milk-fed veal production is confident about...