Angry viewers slammed Countryfile for encouraging viewers to chose veal for their BBQ this summer, despite controversy over production methods.
Veal is the meat of young male calves, most commonly from dairy breeds and thus unable to produce milk, but the industry has suffered from a poor reputation for animal welfare and ethical concerns.
Countryfile’s Matt Baker picked rose veal for the show’s summer BBQ (BBC)
In the show’s Summer Special on Sunday, host Matt Baker met with “Welsh queens of American BBQ” Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn, who suggested viewers pick rose veal for the grill this year.
They visited Hopkin Evans at Marcross Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan who raises “high welfare veal”, with calves killed at between six and nine months.
“It’s an untapped resources and if you’re drinking milk, you should be eating veal, because these cows have no real purpose other than veal,” Hopkin said.
Some viewers agreed with Hopkin.
Humanely reared veal stops the slaughter of bull calves in dairy herds and produces fabulous meat. Public awareness needed #Countryfile
— Tim Colborn✏️ (@timcolborn) July 31, 2016
"If you're drinking milk you should be eating veal" #Countryfile 👍🏻
— Alice Swift (@Alice_SwiftJS) July 31, 2016
But his comments angered lots of animal lovers.
"High welfare veal", an oxymoron if ever I heard one #Countryfile
— Mark Reid (@markreid90) July 31, 2016
Veal…live a lovely life until the absolute terror they encounter at the end #countryfile
— Em River Hasney (@EmRiverHasney) July 31, 2016
#Countryfile A good life for a few months..then killed. I wish this farmer and matt would think about what they are actually saying.
— Vegan Nights (@VeganNights) July 31, 2016
Barbaric cruelty #Veal #Countryfile
— Trench49 (@Trench49) July 31, 2016
Veal …they've led a lovely life. Insane. #Countryfile
— Paula (@paulajc56) July 31, 2016
#Countryfile on in background, dairy farmer saying male calves are good for noone so rears them for veal – their mothers want them! 😡💔
— mrs pickles (@mrs_pickles) July 31, 2016
Matt Baker is unnervingly cheerful when discussing the slaughter of innocent farm animals. #Countryfile
— SirBrianCannonHunter (@TheCannonHunter) July 31, 2016
Not enjoying #Countryfile tonight, veal is a main reason this dairy farmer's daughter now promotes vegetarianism and farmers diversifying
— Embee_65 (@Embee_65) July 31, 2016
A BBC spokeswoman said: ”Countryfile deals with all aspects of farming in a balanced and impartial way.
“The programme was clear that the meat featured was ‘Rose veal’, which is produced humanely from calves that are raised in line with approved UK animal welfare standards.”
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