The veal industry expects to grow with consumer confidence.
That’s why the American Veal Association last month approved a host of new ethical commitments designed to be proactive in the industry and transparent with consumers.
The commitments outline goals for animal welfare, food safety, environmental stewardship, and labor and human rights.
Sonia Arnold, the association’s president, said the commitments were drafted in a way that is relatable to consumers to raise awareness about all facets of what the industry is doing to improve.
The association represents about 400 farmers, along with companies and processors involved in the production of milk-fed veal. Calves originate from dairy farms and are raised to about 6 months of age with a market weight of 500 pounds or more.
Production is concentrated in six states that have strong dairy industries — Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Last year, more than 300,000 animals nationally were raised for veal, and Pennsylvania accounted for a significant percentage of that.
“When it comes to veal, we have a good story to tell,” said Arnold, who is also the manager of nutrition, research and quality control at Marcho Farms in Souderton, Pennsylvania. “A lot of the animal agriculture segments are already doing things the right way, but we haven’t been communicating it in a way the public can understand.”