[masraum]

I'm not a big veal person, but I have had it a time or two at restaurants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veal

There are four types of veal:

* Bob Veal, from calves that are culled a few days after birth when they weigh 150 lb. (USA only)[1]
* Formula-Fed (or "milk-fed") veal, from calves that are raised on a nutritionally complete milk formula supplement. The meat colour is ivory or creamy pink, with a firm, fine and velvety appearance. Usually marketed as veal when they reach 18-20 weeks of age (450-500 lb). [2]
* Non-Formula-Fed ("red" or "grain-fed") [3] veal, from calves that are raised on grain, hay or other solid food in addition to milk. The meat is darker in colour, and some additional marbling and fat may be apparent. Usually marketed as calf rather than veal at 22-26 weeks of age (650-700 lb).
* Rosé Veal UK is from calves reared on farms in association with the UK RSPCA's stringent Freedom Foods programme. Its name comes from its pink colour, which is a result of the calves being culled at around 35 weeks. [4]


Before the 1960s, milk-fed veal was raised primarily by the dairy farmer as a method of gaining some economic advantage from the many bull calves born each year that were not required for breeding. Eventually, the farmer found that raising this young animal and meeting the specific needs of the calf proved challenging in the midst of the mature cattle members of his herd.

Early producers found that a separate micro-climate was the only means of raising a calf through the perils of early growth. The growing stall was thus born. In the beginning these separated growing areas were almost totally enclosed. This was thought to curtail the spread of disease and provide a clean and comfortable environment in which the calf could flourish. Mortality was reduced substantially and product quality and quantity improved. As time and management philosophy developed the stall was changed. It became larger and more open. The stall also provided an opportunity for individual handling of the calf. However, many animal welfare activists oppose the use of these crates. Veal crates were banned in the UK (under the 1987 "Welfare of Calves Regulations" which came into effect in 1990)[7] and throughout the European Union in 2007.

There has been some controversy in veal-raising methods over the years, including housing, use of antibiotics and hormones. In Europe, these issues have all been addressed. In North America, there has been a general lag in these areas but there is no use of hormones now and use of antibiotics follows withdrawal guidelines. This is actively monitored by government agencies. The AVA (American Veal Association) announced in 2007 a 10 year phasing out of "crates".[8] In North America, there has been a recent move to more group housing, although it has been used since 1981 in various forms.

How about Foie gras - force fed goose? I've never had it, but I'd be willing to give it a shot.

Foie gras (pronounced /fwɑːˈgrɑː/ in English; French for "fat liver") is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage (force-feeding) corn, according to French law,[1]

Gavage-based foie gras production is controversial, due to the force feeding procedure, and the possible health consequences of an enlarged liver, and a number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras due to how it is traditionally produced.

Fattening

In modern production, the bird is typically fed a controlled amount of feed, depending on the stage of the fattening process, its weight, and the amount of feed it last ingested.[42] At the start of production, a bird might be fed a dry weight of 250 grams (9 oz) of food per day, and up to 1,000 grams (35 oz) (in dry weight) by the end of the process. The actual amount of food force-fed is much greater, since the birds are fed a mash whose composition is about 53% dry and 47% liquid (by weight).[43]

The feed is administered using a funnel fitted with a long tube (20–30 cm long), which forces the feed into the animal's esophagus; if an auger is used, the feeding takes about 45 to 60 seconds. Modern systems usually use a tube fed by a pneumatic pump;[44] with such a system the operation time per duck takes about 2 to 3 seconds. During feeding, efforts are made to avoid damaging the bird's esophagus, which could cause injury or death.