1. Veal Quality Assurance
AUTHORIZATION REQUEST
AR 1711-II
JULY 2016
NORTH AMERICAN MEAT INSTITUTE
A contractor to the Beef Checkoff
Thank you for the opportunity to present the Veal Quality Assurance Authorization Request for your review today. I am Dale Bakke, president of the American Veal Association. I live in Wisconsin and the veal industry is something I have been involved in for 32 years. As someone directly involved with the veal industry, it is my pleasure to present this AR and answer your questions on behalf of the North American Meat Institute, who is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.

2. Grow Consumer Trust in Beef and Beef Production
Supports the Beef Industry Long Range Plan Core Strategies and Strategic Initiatives:
Grow Consumer Trust in Beef and Beef Production
Certify and Verify Production Practices
This Authorization Request (AR) sets forth the strategies and tactics supporting the CBB Budget Category for Industry Information. Each of the Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) measurable objectives directly supports one or more of the core strategies of the Beef Industry Long Range Plan. Veal Quality Assurance addresses the Beef Industry Long Range Plan Core Strategy to Grow Consumer Trust in Beef and Beef Production.
VQA specifically supports the strategic initiative to “Certify and Verify Production Practices”
The Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program provides producer education and a standard of certification to ensure veal calves receive quality care through every stage of life and are raised using ethical production practices that result in animal well-being and a safe, wholesome, quality product that meets regulatory and customer expectations.

3. Certify and Verify Production Practices
Consumer Trust Committee Grow consumer trust in beef and beef production to inspire confidence in purchasing decisions through honest and transparent communication.
Important
Certify and Verify Production Practices
More Important
Engage Beef Advocates
Conducting a robust VQA program directly supports the Consumer Trust Committee’s purpose and mandate in Support of the Beef Industry’s Long Range Plan.
First and foremost, the VQA AR provides a Certification Program to verify production practices. Specific aspects of the VQA program will be discussed later in the presentation. The certification program directly supports a priority strategic initiative of the Consumer Trust Committee.
In addition, the VQA activities will engage with Beef and Dairy advocates to build consumer trust. This supports an important committee priority.

4. What is Veal? Dairy Farm Heifers Dairy Steers Bob Veal Calves
2015 USDA TOTAL
VEAL SLAUGHTERED
445,501
BOB VEAL
170,210
Formula-FED
249,903
NON-SPECIAL-FED
6,568
HEAVY CALVES
OVER 400 POUNDS
18,820
Dairy Steers
Marketed at pounds
Bob Veal Calves
Marketed at 80 – 150 pounds
Before I share details of the Authorization Request, let briefly review how the veal industry operates.
Almost all veal gets it start on a dairy farm – there are about 47,000 dairy farms in the U.S.
Cows produce a calf each year. Heifers are raised and returned to the milking herd.
There are three options for bull calves.
Be fed for beef where they are fed up to hundred pounds
Sold directly from the dairy within a few days for slaughter and marketed as Bob veal
Or raised for weeks and marketed as milk fed or formula fed veal weighing 450 to 500 pounds
The 2015 USDA Veal Slaughter numbers indicate more than one-half of all veal is milk fed; and about 38% is bob veal. The majority of veal meat –85% -- is derived from milk-fed veal calves.
As you can imagine, bob veal come from wherever there are dairy farms. Milk-fed veal is primarily located in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. Most farms have about 200 calves. There is a movement in the industry to raise calves in group housing. In some areas of the country, most milk-fed veal is raised by Amish or Mennonite farmers. Another unique aspect of veal, is that most milk-fed veal calves are contract-growers working directly with a packer, processor and/or feed company.
Milk-Fed / Formula-Fed Veal
Marketed at pounds
85% of veal milk is derived
from milk-fed veal

5. in raising milk-fed veal
Significant changes
in raising milk-fed veal
Learn more about veal at
The milk-fed veal industry has made significant changes over the last 10 years. The industry set a goal to have all milk-fed veal raised in group pens by 2017, and we estimate that we are about 85% there in meeting that goal.

6. Why is VQA Important? Grow consumer trust and confidence
Demonstrate commitment to producing safe, nutritious & delicious veal
Ensure Animal Well-Being
The goal of the Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program is to grow consumer trust and confidence in veal and to demonstrate our commitment to producing a safe, nutritious and delicious veal product for our customers. Research tells us that consumers want more information about what happens on today’s farms and they expect humane care for every animal raised for food. Simply put, consumers, restaurants, retailers and policy makers want to know that they can count on the veal industry to do “what’s right.” We are committed to delivering this with the financial support of the investment we have made through the beef checkoff.
Simply put, consumers, restaurants, retailers and policy makers want to know that they can count on the veal industry to do “what’s right.”

7. Veal Quality Assurance
This AR fills the significant need for an ongoing producer education and certification program to meet animal well-being and food safety best practices. VQA is a program of science-based best practices and standards developed by farmers and animal care experts that are annually benchmarked to ensure the most up-to-date protocols are incorporated into the program.

8. VQA Certification Program
TO BE CERTIFIED:
Attend a workshop/presentation
Complete Certification Exam
Complete the Certification Contract
Confirm a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship
Must be re-certified every 2 years
To be certified, growers must:
Attend a VQA workshop/presentation
Complete Certification Exam
Complete the Certification Contract
Confirm a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship
Growers must be re-certified every two years.

9. VCPR form must be completed Signed by the veterinarian
We depend on veterinarians to sign the forms assuring the grower has met the criteria and implements the best practices in the program.

10. American Association of Bovine Practitioners
“I need to commend you and the team that updated the VQA Program. Making the Veterinarian-Client- Patient-Relationship (VCPR) pivotal to certification is an excellent step on a variety of levels. The recommendations which address violative residues are also excellent.”
Dr. M. Gatz Riddell, Jr.
Executive Vice President AABP
Dr. Gatz Riddell, Jr. with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners had this to say about the VQA program, “I need to commend you and the team that updated the VQA Program. Making the Veterinarian-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR) pivotal to certification is an excellent step on a variety of levels. The recommendations which address violative residues are also excellent.”

11. Veal Quality Assurance
2017 AR VQA
Continue to manage the program to assure a minimum of 85% of the milk fed veal is VQA certified
Enlist input from technical advisors to update program by September 2017
Assess feasibility of PAACO training and audit
2017 Measureable Objectives (Program emphasis)
Continue to manage on-going program implementation of VQA education and certification with veal stakeholders and growers to assure a minimum of 85% of milk-fed veal is VQA certified by September 2017.
Enlist the input of technical advisors, along with learnings from 2016 equivalency audits, to review the current VQA handbook, education presentation, resource materials, and certification requirements to update program materials by September 2017.
Assess the feasibility and costs of the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) involvement in VQA training of instructors and an audit of adherence to the VQA standards by February 2017; and act on recommendations, if cost is within program budget.
Measurable objectives

12. Veal Quality Assurance
2017 AR VQA
Create two industry news articles to raise awareness with dairy producers regarding bob veal
Create one educational info-graphic
Communicate monthly VQA program updates to 350 industry stakeholders
Present at the Veal Summit in March 2017
Measurable Objectives (communication/awareness emphasis)
Create two industry articles to raise awareness with dairy producers regarding animal care and food safety best practices with calves that are marketed as bob veal, and secure placement in a major dairy publication such as Progressive Dairymen reaching an estimated 25,000 dairy producers, or regional publication such as Lancaster Farming that includes 56,000 paid subscribers in Pennsylvania and fifteen other states, by September 2017.
Create one educational info-graphics for veal and dairy industry stakeholders on animal care best practices and post on the Veal Farm website by September 2017 for access by industry stakeholders representing 90% of milk-fed veal.
Communicate VQA program updates to 350 industry stakeholders including state beef council leadership and veal growers/packer/processors through monthly Veal Industry e-newsletter through September 2017.
Provide a VQA program update presentation to 50 leading veal industry stakeholders at the annual Veal Summit in March 2017.
Measurable objectives

13. Thank you! Questions Veal Quality Assurance AR 1711-II
For More Information:
Bill Sessions
Director of Product Marketing and Promotion
North American Meat Institute
202/
Thank you for the opportunity to present the Veal Quality Assurance Authorization Request on behalf of the North American Meat Institute.
I look forward to addressing your questions.
A Contractor to the Beef Checkoff