You may not want to read this. I don't want to ruin anyone's Thanksgiving. So that's my disclaimer.
I just listened to a disturbing NPR podcast. The story was about turkeys, so I clicked on it thinking it might be interesting since Thanksgiving is in two days. Here's what I learned. The variety of turkey that the pilgrims ate is now raised by only a handful of farmers. The variety that is widely sold now, thanks to factory farming, is called the Broad Breasted White. This is most likely what we will be eating on Thursday.
In order to produce the most meat in the least amount of time, the factory turkeys have been selectively bred for certain traits. They have extremely large breasts and unusually short legs. In fact they are so overweight and ill-proportioned that they are unable to walk or have sex. Yes, all of these turkeys are produced through artificial insemination. Another side effect of the selective breeding is that the turkeys' immune systems are weakened, so they have to be pumped full of antibiotics. What kind of mutant meat are we eating?
I understand that the factory turkeys cost a lot less to produce which translates to less cost for consumers. On average, non-factory turkeys cost 4-5 times more because they take twice as long to grow to slaughter weight, and they require more land to roam than turkeys that are cooped up in factories. You might disagree, but I personally think the extra cost is worth it. The non-factory turkeys seem healthier, tastier and more humanely treated than the genetically enhanced ones. Factory turkeys, on the other hand, are so bland that "processors inject them with saline solution and vegetable oils to improve 'mouthfeel' while at the same time increasing shelf life and adding weight." I won't even go into the details of how these birds are mistreated in the factories.
I'm appalled. Admittedly, this newly learned information probably will not deter me from enjoying the turkey that Rob's mom prepares. But if I'm ever responsible for a turkey, I'm going to search for a variety other than the factory raised Broad Breasted White.
3 comments:
Hmmm...interesting. I guess I would be interested to try a farmed turkey and see if it tastes different.
We only buy non-farmed chicken eggs.
In one of her more lucent periods, my grandmother raised 'wild' turkeys, along with a couple of swans, geese, ducks, chickens, pigs and doves (the 30 head of cattle or so technically belonged to my grandfather). The turkey were "gamier" in taste, but much more flavorful. If you can ever get pheasant, turkey or such from a hunter, try it. It's definitely better than the KFC variety you buy in the stores.
Wow Andy, that's really cool! I'd like to try some wild turkey some time.
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