veal, flesh of a calf from two to three months old weighing usually less than 300 lb (135 kg). The locomotion of the veal calves is often restricted, and they are fed a real or synthetic milk that is high in protein and low in iron; this produces the desired tenderness and white color of good veal. It contains gelatin in large proportion and is therefore excellent for making soup stock. Flesh from week-old calves disposed of by the dairy industry is used in certain meat products but is not, properly speaking, veal. Veal is sold almost entirely as fresh meat. The main cuts are the leg, loin, ribs (or rack), shoulder, and breast. The brains, liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, and tongue are considered delicacies.

Meat of young calves. It is usually pale grayish white in colour, firm and fine-grained, with a velvety texture. Calves bred to yield veal are usually raised indoors under controlled temperatures and intensively fed on milk, high-protein calf meal, or both. Herbaceous foods are excluded, which results in an iron deficiency that produces the desirable light colour in the meat. In recent decades, animal-rights groups have denounced calf farming as cruel.

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