Behind the Scenes View of Veal Industry Dispels Myths

The New York Beef Council partnered with the North American Meat Institute to host a two-day Veal Immersion Event in Canandaigua, NY on May 30th and 31st. Attendees travelled from all throughout New York State and Pennsylvania to experience a “boots-on-the-ground” look into the veal industry. The social influencers and culinary instructors in attendance had the opportunity to explore veal production, as well as, the versatility of veal in the kitchen.   

Event attendees had the opportunity to tour Provitello Farm in Elba to learn first-hand how milk fed veal calves are raised. The tour included discussion on animal care, nutrition, and health. Prior to the tour attendees were asked to complete a pre-survey which revealed many concerns and misconceptions about the veal industry. Following the visit to the veal farm the group toured Grober Nutrition located in Auburn, NY. The facility tour allowed attendees to better understand how milk replacer is produced and the care and quality that goes into feeding calves.      

One attendee shared how the immersion experience changed her understanding and view of the veal industry. “For most of my life, I had several misconceptions about what veal was, and even more so the veal lifecycle and farming practices. One photo, shown to me at a young age, set in motion my belief that eating veal was wrong and had my feet rooted on the topic. I am SO glad that I now know and understand what veal is and had the chance to get behind the scenes and learn and see first-hand modern-day veal farming. The veal industry has changed SO much. Veal is delicious, versatile and nutritious! Plus, it is sustainably raised, which is important to me”, Colleen from Souffle Bombay blog.   

Day 2 of the program focused on veal’s versatility and taste in the kitchen. Social Influencers and Culinary Instructors were paired and assigned a unique flavor profile such as Greek, Asian, Indian and even, Lebanese cuisines. The groups were challenged to develop two recipes utilizing ground veal and veal cutlets. Using only a limited market basket of ingredients the creativity and complex flavor of their dishes were impressive and enjoyed by all for lunch! In addition, attendees were sent home with ground veal and veal cutlets donated by Catelli Brothers and challenged to continue to explore veal’s versatility in the kitchen. Early post-survey results reveal that 100% of social influencer attendees plan to blog more about veal following the event