What These Common Turkey Labels Really Mean
If you’re picking a turkey this Thanksgiving, you’re likely to come across several different labels: fresh , premium , young . What does all this mean? This NPR report can help you figure it out.
Unsurprisingly, most of the fancy labels you see on frozen turkeys are nothing more than marketing jargon. But you should still know what you are getting yourself into, and here are some common shortcuts and what they actually mean:
- Young : You probably think this means the bird was killed at a young age, and while this may technically be true, NPR notes that most commercial turkeys die between 16 and 18 weeks anyway, so this is a little misleading. The USDA does not define “young” for turkeys and only requires the designation “mature” or “one year old” for turkeys that have lived for more than a year.
- Fresh : This means the turkey has never been frozen.
- No Hormones Added : The turkey may not have been pumped with hormones, but this is another misleading label since commercial turkey poults (and other poultry) are not injected with growth hormones anyway in accordance with USDA regulations.
- Bonus : This means absolutely nothing, as “premium” is not defined by the USDA.
“Free range” is also often misleading because it simply means that the animal has been given “access to the street,” and this can be defined as broadly as simply opening and closing a door. In most cases, the animal is still raised in standard, crowded poultry houses.
In general, these labels usually mean more expensive turkey, so you are probably better off saving. A complete list of labels and their meanings can be found at the link below.
Premium, Young and Natural: Turkey Labels We Cluck Somewhere | NPR