UK Veal Now Cool, Not Cruel

Veal is the new guilt-free meat in Britain, and everyone from top chefs to farmers and animal activists is pushing consumers to eat up. Anti-cruelty groups largely eliminated veal from the UK diet in the '90s, and as a result, dairy farmers slaughter half a million male calves and export the rest to veal farms. But with new standards in place, eating British-raised veal has become the solution to, not cause of, cruelty.

Retailers have begun selling veal again, with Tesco gearing up to meet future demand by starting its own veal brand. Calves used to be raised in crates, but now cattle must be bred outdoors or in spacious barns with plenty of food and straw. "It's a very interesting meat," one chef told the Guardian. (More veal stories.)