What will California's new animal housing law do to veal?

The future availability and price for veal in the state of California is cloudy following the passage of a law mandating space requirements for raising food animals, according to the American Veal Association (AVA).The organization is warning that the passage of Proposition 12 in California last year will force farmers in the Golden State to raise about 66 calves in a barn that was designed to hold 200 calves because of the act’s space requirements. Starting Jan. 1, 2020, veal intended for sale in California will need to come from barns that offer 43 square feet per calf, regardless of size or age of the calf.AVA President Dale Bakke called the regulations “unnecessary … and excessive” and notes that “no milk-fed veal raised anywhere in the world” meets the new floor space requirements. He also notes that AVA members already provide between 16 and 20 square feet of space per calf depending on the size of the animal.