JOURNAL OF AGMCDLTURAL RESEARCH 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Vol. VI Washington, D. C, July 17, 1916 No. 16 



DIGESTIBILITY OF VERY YOUNG VEAL 



By C. F. Langworthy, Chief, and A. D. Holmes, Scientific Assistant, 

 Office of Home Economics, States Relations Service 



INTRODUCTION 



Throughout the United States little was known until recently regarding 

 very young veal, since the sale of calves less than 3 to 6 weeks old for 

 food is prohibited by Federal and State laws. Our attitude toward veal, 

 as toward many other foods, has been determined in part by custom 

 and prejudice and in part by economic conditions and experience, often 

 being illogical; therefore it is of interest to ascertain in such cases how 

 far belief is justified by facts, as shown by controlled experimental tests. 



That the common opinion that veal is less wholesome than beef and 

 young veal less so than mature veal is not a consistent prejudice against 

 young flesh foods is shown by the common and apparently growing 

 taste which prefers squab to pigeon, ranks broilers as superior to fowls, 

 considers sucking pig a great delicacy, and regards hothouse lamb — that 

 is, lamb less than 3 months old and rapidly grown and fattened — as 

 much superior to older lamb as lamb is to mutton. 



That economic conditions may have an effect upon opinion, which is 

 not consistent, is shown by the situation with respect to the marketing 

 of calves. In grazing areas where the cheapness of food makes it possi- 

 ble to rear cattle at least to early maturity there is a natural tendency 

 to do so. In regions where the dairy industry is highly developed, 

 milk is such an important product that it is not thought profitable to 

 rear calves beyond the period when the mother's milk becomes salable, 

 and so, even though they can not be marketed and the producer will 

 seldom care to use on his own table what he is prohibited from selling, 

 they are often slaughtered at from 3 to 6 days old instead of fed until the 

 lawful marketable age. 



The prejudice against veal, and more particularly young veal, is 

 inspired chiefly, it would seem, by the belief that it is indigestible, by 

 which is meant either that it causes a digestive disturbance or that it 



Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. VI, No. 16 



Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C July 17, 1916 



en B— 8 



(577) 



