In the past month or so, I have become enamored with Italian
cuisine. My meals are no longer dictated by white rice and bok choy (a form of
Chinese cabbage), but are now dominated by bread, pasta, and olive oil.
However, as a devoted meat lover, how could I survive without indulging in all
the delicious dishes 
Veal is
considered to be one of the cruelest foods in the world, along with shark fins
and foie gras. Veal comes from the meat of young calves, usually male because
of the lack of use for male cows in dairy farms. In the case of formula-fed
veal, young calves are often raised in dark crates in order to limit their
movement. Limiting their movement prevents the development of their muscles,
which in turn, means that the meat is more tender. The crates fulfill this
purpose by being extremely small, making the calves unable to even turn around.
The calves are also fed synthetic milk consisting of Vitamin D, but lacking in
iron. 
Vitamin D
is naturally obtained from sunlight. Humans can obtain the amount of Vitamin D
they need for the day just by being out and under the sun. Vitamin D obtained
this way goes through two hydroxylation reactions and is converted into the
active form known as Calcitriol. Calcitriol promotes the absorption of calcium
and phosphorus as well as the reabsorption of calcium from the kidneys, making
it crucial to the growth and development. Since veal calves are locked in
crates of darkness, their diets contain supplements of Vitamin D.
Iron is
crucial to the production of red blood cells. A lack of iron results in a lack
of production of red blood cells, resulting in a condition known as
iron-deficient anemia. Veal calves are consistently fed synthetic milk that
lack iron due to the desire to have their meat look white. The meat of the
calves that are raised this way are known as formula-fed veal.
Although I
knew that the reality behind the production of veal was very cruel, I never
knew the extent of the cruelty. However, other types of veal such as
non-formula-fed veal and free raised veal are much more humane. For free raised
veal, calves are raised naturally through a mother's milk and pasture grasses.
This results in a lower fat content as well as a pinkish color in their meat. Thankfully, the veal I have had were all had pink colored meat so I know that the calves were not cruelly abused when they were still alive.
Works Consulted
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