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Watkins Glen Restaurants Say No to Cruel Veal

Watkins Glen, NY - November 30, 2001 - By pledging not to serve crated, anemic veal, a majority of Watkins Glen area restaurants have expressed an interest in preventing unnecessary animal suffering. Farm Sanctuary heartily commends these establishments for promoting compassion.

Restaurants in Watkins Glen and Montour Falls that have pledged to serve no veal include Savard's, Grapevine Deli, The Falls Café, The Melting Pot, Blue Ribbon Diner, Glen Mountain Market, House of Hong, Seneca Harbor Station, and Café Alsace, while the Wildflower Café, Jerlando's, and Franklin St. Grille have pledged not to served crated, anemic veal.

According to Mark Simiele, President of the Seneca Harbor Station Restaurant, AVeal is something that we were committed against in principle--something we feel strongly about. Given the other resources available for food, it just isn't something we need to do. We have a problem with how the calves are raised and handled. The ethical question was the main issue when deciding to not sell veal."

As part of its national "Say No to Veal" campaign, Farm Sanctuary asked local restaurants to pledge not sell inhumane "white" veal. To produce "white" veal, newborn calves are taken from their mothers and chained by the neck in small wooden crates just two feet wide. The calves cannot move, and this prevents their muscles from developing, so their flesh remains soft. The calves are fed an all-liquid diet deficient in iron and fiber, designed to cause anemia and produce the pale-colored flesh sold as "white" veal. Farm Sanctuary has established a website, www.noveal.org, which lists scores of supporting restaurants across the United States. Among them are Hard Rock Café, Tavern on the Green, and the Russian Tea Room.

Practices used to produce "white" veal are so cruel that they have been outlawed in Europe, but they remain legal in the United States despite widespread public opposition. In a recent Zogby poll, four out of five respondents said it was unacceptable to confine calves in narrow crates, and the same number said it was unacceptable to feed calves an anemic diet.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.