Nov 25, 2008 8:45 pm US/Eastern
Turkey Talk: Deciphering Labels For The Right Bird
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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About 45 million turkeys will be sold this Thanksgiving. If you're heading out to buy one over the next two days, you'll find a tremendous variety from heritage to organic – but what do all these labels mean?
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
About 45 million turkeys will be sold this Thanksgiving. If you're heading out to buy one over the next two days, you'll find a tremendous variety from heritage to organic – but what do all these labels mean?
CBS 2 sought out to decipher them.
Barbara Boyd makes a point to buy "cage free" eggs for her family and thinks the same rules should apply when it comes to her holiday turkey.
"I feel it's a small part that I can do to push forward the organic and the humane treatment of animals," says Boyd.
From "cage free" to "humanely raised," "organic" and "free range," this year's turkeys will have all kinds of labels.
"There are three humane certification programs maintained by animal welfare organizations, and those three are certified humane, animal welfare approved and animal humane certified," says Dena Jones of the World Society for Protection of Animals.
Organic poultry is regulated by the USDA, must be given outside access, given feed made from all organic ingredients and never given antibiotics.
"That means somebody actually does visit the farms," says Jones.
However, there are no USDA regulations or inspections for birds labeled "pasture raised" and "free range." When it comes to free range turkeys, farms aren't inspected for providing outside access, so the turkeys may still be crammed in a barn most of the time.
"In many cases the birds live in crowded barns with thousands of other birds and only go outside for a very short amount of time every day, and even when they are allowed outside it may be just into a barren lot.," says Jones.
The best priced bird will be conventionally raised. Free range cost more and organic turkeys will be the most expensive of all.
Another type of turkey is the "heritage." Unlike turkeys bred for industrial agriculture, heritage turkeys reproduce without human intervention, have long life spans and are much smaller.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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