What The Turkey Label Really Means
By Amy E. Feldman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Please pass the chemical-free hormone-free turkey. I think?
This Thanksgiving, Butterball turkeys will have a new label: American Humane Certified on all of its products. What does that mean for the billion pounds of turkey being fattened for your Thanksgiving table?
It means that the producer had to provide adequate food and clean water and ensure that the turkeys are free from pain and unnecessary stress.
Animal rights groups decry this as an industry friendly standard that doesn't mean much. Most consumers care deeply about the question: hm. Is it delicious?
Here's what you need to know about the labels that you care about - which is to say, affect the quality of the turkey you're eating because the law regulates those terms.
Some terms you'll see on the label sound good but mean nothing. For example, hormone free. Who wants a hormonal turkey? No one. It's illegal to use hormones when raising poultry so they're all hormone free. Same for chemical free. Free range sounds good but it only means that turkeys had access to the outside, no requirement of when and for how long.
Other terms sound like nothing but are important. Basted or self-basted on a label means it's been injected or marinated with a solution containing butter or other fat, broth, stock or water and flavor enhancers.
If you're not clear about what happened to the turkey before it got to market or after it gets in your mouth, visit FDA.gov for more info.