Not sure what you saw in the 80s. Sounds like vegan propaganda material. I have seen them raised back in the 80s and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Veal comes from young animals, but they are not baby cows any more by the time they meet their maker. They are about 400 pounds+ when they are slaughtered and usually fed with milk based formula.
Of course, if you have an issue with eating a young animal, you should stick to vegetables. But only eat the big old gnarly carrots - you don't want to eat a baby carrot.
George