Thread: WATCH OUT! Thanksgiving turkeys may be from Mexico.

The most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, may be replaced by your local supermarket with turkeys grown in Mexico. RALPHS grocery chain is selling a very cheap and strange new brand of frozen and fresh turkeys and my store has eliminated all other frozen brands except for this and Zacky's.

I looked on the label of the frozen ones and found they are "distributed in the U.S." but there is no label where the turkeys are grown. Most of Ralph's fresh ones are distributed by INTER-AMERICAN FOOD PRODUCTS of Cincinnati, OH. I question if they are from U.S. farms.

The major chains will slip many products into the food market but not label the source country. The only product source sticker I have seen so far is on fish.

READ YOUR LABEL! IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT, RETURN IT PROMPTLY!

The United States is the world's second-largest exporter of broilers behind Brazil. Annual broiler exports average approximately 5 billion pounds, which is about 15 percent of U.S. production. Demand for U.S. broiler products has fluctuated over the last several years due to changing economic conditions and currency exchange rates in major importing countries. The largest importers of U.S. broiler products are Russia, China (including Hong Kong), and Mexico. Together, these markets accounted for over half of U.S. broiler product exports, on a quantity basis.

The United States imports only small amounts of broiler products, accounting for less than 1 percent of domestic production.

The United States is also the world's largest exporter of turkey products. U.S. turkey exports total close to half a billion pounds. Less than 1 percent of turkey exports are as whole birds; the majority of shipments are lower valued turkey parts or ground or mechanically deboned meat (MDM). Many importing countries mix the ground or MDM turkey meat with other meats in sausage production.

Mexico is by far the largest importer of U.S. turkey meat, accounting for over half of U.S. turkey exports. The United States imports only a small amount of turkey products, with most imported products coming from Canada.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Poultry/Trade.htm

It is not likely the birds are from Mexico. However, they are going to be produced by the US meat packing plants using a workforce containing un-inspected illegal alien workers. I'm going to pass on them this year. Salmonella is a disease prevalent in turkeys and probably is not much of a problem where workers are concerned with sanitation.

[quote="ShockedinCalifornia"]The most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, may be replaced by your local supermarket with turkeys grown in Mexico=quote]


A long time ago I start being worried with these chain.
So I decided to buy all meats Kosher. These meats HAVE to be inspected and the animals HAVE to be in good health, also the way they kill the animal is the most humane and for sure they are from US of A.
My daughter didn't agree and always said I was too difficult.
Last week she went to see "Fast Food" movie, so she told me I was right and she will never buy from these chains again, she rather be vegetarian.
These Kosher meats (chiken, turkey, lamb...) are a little more expensive but at least we don't eat every garbage they through away.

These won't be the first Mexican Turkeys in the U.S.
There are at least a couple I know of.

How do you say Turkey in Spanish.

Dixie

[quote="Dixie"]How do you say Turkey in Spanish.


In spanish I don't know but in portuguese is PERU, must be something like this.

The Spanish word for Turkey is Pavo. For most of the year the price of Turkeys is higher in Mexico than here. Only during Thanksgiving would it be higher here.

they could be these.

Items for food drive stolen, Reno police say

Posted: 11/17/2006

Reno police said someone stole two trailers of food items Thursday, including 100 turkeys, set aside for the Evelyn Mount Holiday Food Drive.

The thefts occurred between the late evening hours of Wednesday and Thursday morning at the Sak 'N Save at the intersection of Oddie and Silverada boulevards.

Secret Witness is offering a $250 reward for information.

Detectives can be reached at 334-2115 or Secret Witness at 322-4900.

I didn't add that the label name for the frozen ones is Tender Gold and is distributed by the International Poultry Company, Los Angeles. I can't seem to find any International Poultry Company in LA in the online yellow pages but that doesn't mean that it isn't in business.

I'm glad you wrote that turkeys in this country are U.S. grown and exported but as fast as things are moving in trade it could soon work both ways.

Originally Posted by ShockedinCalifornia

I didn't add that the label name for the frozen ones is Tender Gold and is distributed by the International Poultry Company, Los Angeles. I can't seem to find any International Poultry Company in LA in the online yellow pages but that doesn't mean that it isn't in business.

I'm glad you wrote that turkeys in this country are U.S. grown and exported but as fast as things are moving in trade it could soon work both ways.

We're OK as long as we can grow grain cheaply. Demand from using grain as fuel and developing our good cropland could put us in a hurt. It bothers me to see houses sitting on black soil up in northern IN.