Beef vs veal: cholesterol compared

In the table, both lean and cooked, beef has 1.7 times the iron of veal, 1.96 mg against 1.16 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), with similar calories. British raw figures widen the gap, 2.7 mg against 0.6 mg in veal escalope, the leaner cut at 1.7 g of fat. Raw veal mince has 7.0 g fat, quadruple the escalope.

Canadian retail testing found Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in 4.7% of ground veal samples, against 1.2% of ground beef. USDA advises 160 °F (71 °C) for ground veal and liver, and 145 °F (63 °C) plus a three-minute rest for steaks and chops. Children under 5, pregnant women, people 65 or older and anyone with weakened immunity are most at risk.

A Quebec case-control study linked veal liver, especially undercooked, to Campylobacter. Per 3.5 oz raw, calf liver has 18,800 mcg of retinol and ox liver 14,200, 4.7 to 6.3 times the NIH adult upper limit of 3,000 mcg a day. For ages 1 to 3 it is 600 mcg. Intakes above the limit can cause birth defects, and UK advice is no liver in pregnancy or when planning one.

Both are mammalian meat, which in alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-linked allergy, can cause anaphylaxis hours later. For iron, choose lean beef. For the leanest plate, veal escalope.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level E Per 100 g raw, lean beef carries about four times the iron of veal escalope (2.7 mg against 0.6 mg) and more zinc (4.1 mg against 2.4 mg), with similar protein and B12. CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0)
2. Level E Raw veal mince is far fattier than veal escalope in British tables (7.0 g against 1.7 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g)) and still carries little iron (0.8 mg). CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0)
3. Level C In a Canadian retail survey of 2398 ground meat samples, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli was found in 4.7% of ground veal against 1.2% of ground beef. J Food Prot, 2025
4. Level E USDA FSIS advises 145 °F (63 °C) plus a three-minute rest for raw veal steaks, chops and roasts, and 160 °F (71 °C) for ground veal and for organ meats such as liver, kidney, heart and tongue. USDA FSIS, Veal from Farm to Table
5. Level E USDA FSIS sets 145 °F (63 °C) plus a three-minute rest for raw beef and veal steaks, chops and roasts, and 160 °F (71 °C) for hamburger measured with a food thermometer. The page read here gives no separate figure for ground veal. USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety
6. Level E FSIS says the toxin made by STEC bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7 may cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, particularly in young children, and names children under 5, pregnant women, people 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems as most at risk from contaminated food. Ground Beef and Food Safety, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
7. Level C A Quebec case-control study linked eating veal liver, especially undercooked, to Campylobacter infection, and found the bacterium in 28 of 97 veal livers. Emerg Infect Dis, 2018
8. Level E The UK composition table gives raw liver 18,800 mcg of retinol per 3.5 oz (100 g) for calf, 17,400 for pig, 17,300 for lamb, 14,200 for ox and 9,700 for chicken. Chicken liver has about half the vitamin A of calf liver. CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), codes 18-409 to 18-418 and 18-494, liver by species
9. Level E NIH names liver as one of the richest sources of preformed vitamin A. NIH sets the upper limit for preformed vitamin A, counting food and supplements together, at 600 mcg a day for children aged 1 to 3 and 3,000 mcg for adults, and warns that intakes above it can cause birth defects. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin A and Carotenoids Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
10. Level E UK Government advice, restated by the Committee on Toxicity in 2022, is that pregnant women and women thinking about having a baby should not eat liver or liver products such as pate, or take vitamin A supplements, unless a GP advises it. Committee on Toxicity (COT), Statement on the effects of excess Vitamin A on maternal health, 2022, para 6
11. Level E A US gastroenterology practice update warns that the same allergy can cause anaphylaxis one to several hours after mammalian meat, which is why it is missed. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2023
12. Level C In alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy usually set off by tick bites, eating red meat from mammals can cause hives, swelling, gut symptoms or life-threatening anaphylaxis. Cases are reported on six continents and the condition is underdiagnosed. J Med Entomol, 2026

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Beef or veal: lean veal has far less iron
• Beef: who paid for the study predicts what it found
• Veal: lean if you choose the cut, with germ findings in mince and liver

Rankings and guides

• Which foods have the most cholesterol?
• Cholesterol: what it does and how much you need
• Cholesterol: top food sources and Daily Value

More comparisons

• Beef vs pork
• Beef vs chicken
• Beef vs lamb
• Beef vs mutton
• Beef vs shrimp
• Beef vs ground turkey
• Veal vs chicken

• Beef: USDA FoodData Central, Beef, top sirloin, steak, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, broiled, FDC ID 168634 · all forms of beef
• Veal: USDA FoodData Central, Veal, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable lean only, cooked, FDC ID 175265 · all forms of veal

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ, and the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.