When you’re a big-name turkey titan like Butterball and use phrases like “plump and juicy” on your packaging, it’s problematic when your birds don’t grow to the heft you expect in time for Thanksgiving. That’s why the folks at Butterball are looking into this year’s flock of skinnier than usual turkeys. [More]
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Why Are Poultry Processing Plants Boiling Millions Of Birds Alive?
By 10.30.13
Most Americans eat meat, but that doesn’t mean that they want the animals destined for their plates to suffer a painful death. Yet U.S. Department of Agriculture records show that every year, almost a million birds are plunged into boiling water by accident because of small failures within the largely mechanized slaughter process. [More]
Now It’s Royal Caribbean’s Turn To Make The Whole Cruise Industry Look Bad
By 8.22.13
First Carnival had the infamous Poop Cruise and a string of other disasters. Now it’s another cruise line’s turn: this week, Royal Caribbean is in the news for seemingly abandoning an American passenger with a broken hip and his wife in Turkey, and for ending an Alaska cruise early because of a problem with the ship’s motor. [More]
Butterball Facing Animal Abuse Allegations Just In Time For Thanksgiving
By 11.14.12
Another Thanksgiving, another controversy starring its big bird, the turkey. An animal advocacy group is leveling claims at Butterball again, accusing the turkey-centric company of abusing and neglecting birds at some of its locations. Tis the season, after all, and no one wants their main course to come from an unhappy turkey. [More]
Gobbling Down Your Turkey Dinner Will Cost You A Bit More This Thanksgiving
By 11.9.12
It’s almost time to head to turkey town and gobble away, America. But those regal birds will cost you a bit more this year, as the price of turkey has been rising this year. Then there’s all those other fixins, and before you know it, the average consumer will spend about 1% more for Thanksgiving dinner than last year. [More]
FDA Bans "Extra-Label" Uses Of Popular Class Of Antibiotics On Farm Animals
By 1.4.12
For those of you who are concerned about the amount of antibiotics being given to the cows, chickens, pigs and turkeys that provide (or end up as) the food on your plate, here’s some good news. The Food and Drug Administration has announced a new regulation that prohibits “extra-label” uses of a popular class of antibiotics. [More]
Officials Raid Butterball Turkey Facility To Investigate Claims Of Animal Cruelty
By 12.29.11
A North Carolina Butterball facility was raided recently by officials, who were investigating claims by an animal advocacy group that the company has been abusing fowl on the premises. Mercy for Animals sent law enforcement video they’d collected from hidden cameras at the plant. [More]
Compressed Pork Piglet Company Also Makes Turkey-Shaped Turkey Breasts
By 11.11.11
Yesterday, we enthralled and horrified the Internet with a reader’s photo of a pork roast molded in the form of a piglet. If you’re looking for a more traditional meta-meat for your Thanksgiving feast, we’ve learned that the same company also produces a turkey breast molded in the shape of a whole turkey. [More]
Thanksgiving Dinner Will Cost You 13% More This Year
By 11.10.11
If you’re planning on ponying up for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, be prepared to spend some more money, as a new report finds the average cost of a turkey-fied feast has jumped more than 13% since last year. [More]
National Rents You Car At Non-Existent Turkish Office
By 8.18.11
NYT’s Frugal Traveler has a funny story about how he reserved a car from the National car rental company for while traveling through Turkey. When he showed up at the rental office, there was no office and the address was non-existent. [More]
The 5 Stupidest Questions People Ask The Butterball Turkey Hotline
By 11.23.10
If you’ve ever wondered why companies like Butterball have a Turkey Talk-Line to help people cook a bird that, in theory, shouldn’t require all that much effort, here are some examples why. [More]
Deep Fry Your Turkey Without Turning Into A Human Torch
By 11.9.10
If you’re planning to deep-fry your turkey this Thanksgiving, Consumer Reports has one simple piece of advice: Skip the propane and go electric. [More]
USDA Tightens Chicken Rules
By 5.11.10
Yesterday the USDA announced new poultry safety rules intended to slightly reduce the number of poisonings annually from salmonella and campylobacter. An agency official says that the new rules should prevent about 65,000 cases of food sickness a year, which is only a fraction of the over a million cases annually. However, most of the other food products that contribute to that number fall under FDA regulation, so the USDA can’t say anything. “This is something we can do, so we’re doing it,” the spokesman told the Los Angeles Times. [More]
Publix Insider Explains Cold Turkey Office Party
By 11.27.09
On Tuesday, we published the story of a woman who ordered a turkey from a Publix supermarket deli for her office’s Thanksgiving celebration, only to discover that her “fully cooked” turkey was cooked, but cold. This was a problem. Her story had a happy ending, but we heard from a Publix employee who confirmed that selling a cold turkey with no warning is wrong…and would lead to trouble for any employee who tried it at our tipster’s store. [More]
5 Things To Do With Leftover Turkey
By 11.27.09
The husband and wife personal finance blogging team Not Made Of Money tell you where to go and shove that leftover turkey of yours. [More]
Is A "Fully-Cooked" Turkey Supposed To Be Hot?
By 11.24.09
Wendy was in charge of planning the at-work Thanksgiving feast for her colleagues at her new job, and was happy to take on the task. A series of misunderstandings at the grocery store deli meant that she nearly had to serve her colleagues a fully cooked but entirely cold turkey. [More]
Call To Trader Joe's Nets Free Bird
By 11.17.09
Kristina stumbled onto a savvy con for those who need two turkeys but only want to pay for one: Buy a turkey, call with a sob story about accidentally ruining it, then show up at the store with hat in hand waiting for your free sympathy bird.
TV Dinner's Genesis: Industrial-Sized Leftovers
By 11.26.08
TV dinners were invented during Thanksgiving in 1953 when the Swanson Company overstocked and was left with over a half-million pounds of turkey they handn’t sold. So a salesman tweaked an airline serving tray, put turkey dinner inside, and told Swanson to tie the marketing to the latest fad of television. [US Census Bureau] (Thanks to Michael!)
