good for you — by Pam Durkin
Gobbledygook Turkey labels demystified.
EAT magazine • Nov+Dec 2012 edition
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EAT MAGAZINE NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2012
CHOOSING A TURKEY for Christmas dinner can be a daunting task. Faced with an array of often confusing labels—grain-fed, hormone-free, free-range, organic—how can health-conscious consumers discriminate between the options and select a bird that will deliver the most flavour and nutrition? When it comes to poultry labels, knowing what is valid and what amounts to marketing hype is crucial if you want to purchase a quality bird. Let’s “talk turkey” and find out what you need to know to ensure the centrepiece of the holiday meal doesn’t disappoint. Grain-Fed Since all “conventionally raised” turkeys in Canada are given feed that contains at least 88 percent grain, this label is pointless. Producers use it as a marketing ploy—grain-fed sounds wholesome and healthy. What this label doesn’t tell you is that the remaining 12 percent of the feed can contain animal by-products. And there’s no guarantee the grain used in the feed (corn, soy) wasn’t genetically modified. Vegetable Grain-Fed This means the turkey’s feed was 100 percent grain-based and contained NO animal by-products. Hormone-Free While not exactly dishonest, advertising a turkey as “hormonefree” is somewhat misleading. It is illegal to use hormones in poultry in Canada and despite popular belief has been since the 1960s. The term is redundant. Antibiotic-Free Since antibiotics ARE routinely used in commercial poultry production in Canada, this label has significance. Many health experts have expressed concern that the widespread use of antibiotics in farm animals poses a threat to human health. “Antibiotic-free” on the label guarantees the turkey was not medicated with antibiotics. Pasture-Raised Pasture-raised turkeys spend most of their time outside pecking for grass and bugs, so their food and activity level—both of which affect the flavour of their meat—differ from those of their 100 percent grain-fed cousins raised in confinement. Pasture-raised turkeys are also likely to be heritage breeds. The industrially farmed birds, genetically engineered to have heavy breasts and short legs, can’t thrive out in the open. Free-Range Though there is no legal definition for this term in Canada, it refers to turkeys given free access to the outdoors, for at least part of the day. They may still spend a large portion of their day in a crowded barn however, unlike pasture-raised birds. Free-Run It may shock you to learn that this is another meaningless label. Free-run simply means the turkeys were allowed to move around freely in the barn—not that they had access to the great outdoors. Since turkeys are not caged—they’re simply too large—all turkeys raised for meat in Canada are, technically, free-run. Organic Turkey sold as “organic” must be raised to a specific standard as laid out by the Canadian General Standards Board, in addition to the standards set by the provincial organic certification board. In general, organic turkeys are reared with certified organic feed that contains no animal by-products or antibiotics and any supplements they are given must be approved by the provincial certification board. Organic turkeys are pasture-raised, meaning they got lots of exercise—a factor that affects the nutritional profile of their meat, in addition to making it richer in taste. The Bottom Line If taste and nutrition are the determining factors in your ultimate selection, there is no substitute for an organic, pasture-raised turkey. Evidence suggests pasture-raised animals contain higher levels of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Their meat is also lower in calories and overall fat content. It is also decidedly more flavourful than the meat from conventionally reared birds who spend their time in dark, overcrowded barns. As Pat Peach from Cowichan Valley Farms Ltd. points out, “Turkeys who live happy lives roaming freely in nature make delicious meat and memorable meals.” For information on where to buy local, organically raised turkeys visit: www.getlocalbc.org/sustainable-turkey-guide or www.islandfarmfresh.com
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