In this paper, the modern Belgian veal industry is situated in a European context, and anoverview is provided of the major past, present and future challenges for veal production. Theproduction of white veal requires a specific diet and housing conditions to assure a controllediron anemic state resulting in pale carcasses. In response to the increasing public concern aboutanimal welfare, legal limits for hemoglobin (in 1990), the provision of a minimum quality of solidfeed to assure ruminal health and group housing from the age of eight weeks on (in 2007), havebeen implemented sector-wide. The integrated structure of the sector likely made it possibleto realize these radical changes at relatively short notice. Despite the pioneers role the vealindustry played in the development of quality labels for food safety and all efforts made towardsimproved nutrition and housing, the veal production remains highly liable to public criticism onwelfare issues. Nowadays, especially the intensive antimicrobial use in relation to high levels ofantimicrobial resistance in commensal, pathogenic and zoonotic bacteria in veal calves is stronglycriticized. The future challenge lies in the development of veal production systems, which requireonly few antibiotics, but safeguard animal welfare and revenue.