The culinary side of the veal story

You've heard the arguments from PETA and other animal-rights groups, and you've seen the pictures. Now comes the culinary side of the story about how calves are raised for veal.

Humane or cruel?

Chef Dan Fluharty presented the case on Wednesday, saying that calves being raised for veal are, indeed, restricted in movement. But it's not cruel, he implied.

Calves are kept in clean environments that are well lit and heated, and they are fed a formula of fats, carbohydrates, proteins and minerals for 3 to 4 months before they are ready for human consumption. Those facts were part of Chef's presentation for the veal part of our curriculum in Culinary Foundations III.

My view: While I don't eat veal often, I know that like other meat, it's here to stay in the human diet. I am OK with how it is raised. Decent treatment of the animals being raised for food makes good business sense as well as good moral sense.