Turkey Terms

A few common labels and what they actually mean, which is not much. I hope you are enjoying the leftovers from your premium, young, fresh, free range turkey, with no hormones added.

• Young: Most commercial turkeys are killed at 16 to 18 weeks, so this is mostly meaningless. The USDA does not define “young” for turkeys and only requires the label of “mature” or “yearling” for turkeys that lived more than a year.
• Fresh: This means the turkey was never frozen.
• No Hormones Added: Mostly meaningless as commercial turkeys, and other poultry are not given growth hormones, per USDA rules.
• Premium: Meaningless as premium has no USDA definition.
• Free range: Often misleading, as it means the animal was given “access to the outdoors.” In most cases, the animal is still raised in standard, crowded cages.

Wordology, Fat Free and Free Range

When the dangers of saturated and trans fat became popular headlines, the market was flooded with products that touted their fat-free status. They sometimes contained nearly as many calories as full-fat versions. “Just because it says it’s fat-free, doesn't mean you get a free ride,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix. “Packages could say it is fat free, but be loaded with sugar, and sugar-free products could be loaded with fat.” Check the label for calorie content, and compare it to the full-fat version.

Although a food label may say free range chicken, do not assume your bird was dancing around the farmer's field. The US Department of Agriculture does define the words free range, but there are no requirements for the amount, duration, and quality of outdoor access. “What it’s supposed to mean is that they are out running in a field,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, nutrition expert and author of Read It, Before You Eat It. “But what it really means is they just have exposure to the outdoors.”