Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 11/6/14


Cargill’s Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White brands are now offering fresh, whole turkeys and fresh, bone-in turkey breasts raised without growth-promoting antibiotics, the company announced. Antibiotics will still be used to treat and prevent illness.

By working with more than 700 independent farmers to raise the turkeys, Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White are the first major turkey brands to implement a change like this on a large scale, according to the company.

In September, Perdue Foods announced it eliminated the use of human antibiotics in its chickens by removing the use of all antibiotics in its hatcheries.

In October, Tyson Foods also announced it had stopped using antibiotics at its chicken hatcheries.

“Consumers today are becoming more interested in what goes into raising their food before it reaches their plate,” says Jan Hood, marketing leader for Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White turkey.  “We’ve been listening to what they are looking for in turkey — or more importantly, what they aren’t looking for — and have chosen to remove growth-promoting antibiotics from our turkey flocks because consumers want it and we believe it’s the right thing to do for the turkeys in our care.”

A 2014 survey of turkey consumers revealed that 62 percent of consumers are interested in purchasing turkeys for Thanksgiving raised without artificial growth stimulants and half of consumers are looking for turkeys raised on independent farms.

The change has been in the works for more than a year. Fresh whole birds and fresh bone-in breasts are now available and will extend to additional items in 2015.

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