Recalled ground turkey?

Did anyone have any of the product in their freezer? I buy a brand of ground turkey called Jennie-O. I like it for the turkey burgers I make. Today, at our Raley's Supermarket I asked if any of their turkey burger products were on recall and they said NO! They also have a Zackey Farm's brand that I buy. Safeway, Kroeger and Winco are the stores I have heard, so far, that are pulling the product.

[Jenise]

Whose product was it? I heard there was a problem in California but haven't paid any attention to the details.

The ground turkey recalled is from one of Cargills factories:
http://stage1.order.cargill.com/na3047772.pdf

[Jenise]

The ground turkey recalled is from one of Cargills factories:
http://stage1.order.cargill.com/na3047772.pdf

Ah, those nice people at Cargill again. You'd think the expense of these recalls would break them, or at least instigate change. But no....

The ground turkey recalled is from one of Cargills factories:
http://stage1.order.cargill.com/na3047772.pdf

Ah, those nice people at Cargill again. You'd think the expense of these recalls would break them, or at least instigate change. But no....

Nope, the expense of the recalls doesn't significantly hurt their bottom line given the scale on which they operate. As long as punitive damages for such incidents remain so ludicrously low, they have little financial incentive to change. Consumer boycotts are difficult in such circumstances because Cargill is a secondary supplier to so many different companies. Our approach is simply to buy local as much as we can. In this way, we've avoided virtually all food-related scares of the last few years.

Mark Lipton

No problem here; we use ground beef, pork, veal, and lamb. But rarely turkey.

We're with Mark on this. We buy the vast majority of our meat from a place that sources it locally and grinds their stuff on premises. It's interesting how much the "buy local" option gets lost in the media when these recalls happen. You get a lot of talk about cooking your ground turkey properly and even about changes to the system to promote more regulation and control over ground meat products that are shipped all over the country. But you get very little discussion about just not buying your ground meat in 50-patty boxes at Costco.

[David M. Bueker]

Never have bought ground turkey.

I'm all for locavorism (locavorness? Locavority?).
But a few things to keep in mind. Obviously, eating local is easy in a moderate climate near sea and within transportable distance of rural areas - as long as you have disposable income and not too many people doing it. I can get local meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables,and many fruits (obviously not citrus). But if the percentage of people who consciously eat local in NY metro area (I'd guess 5 % max) tripled, no way the Hudson Valley, LI, and NJ could supply that 15% of the population- much less everyone. I would think that would be true of most urban areas. And of course there are places where eating primarily local isn't a real option (inland deserts, for instance).
The second factor is income. Betsy and I are solidly upper middle class. It's not a big deal for me to pay double for local seafood, meat, veggies. But while the average American spends about 10% of income on food, that more than doubles for those making less than poverty level. Since those incomes are smaller to start with, it's not hard to see why those people gravitate towards cheaper mass produced food (Cargill, Purdue, etc).
My point is just that the mass producers are here to stay, and are the only option for some. So it's important that there is someone keeping track.

I'd also note that local or organic is not a guarantee of food safety. One reason one avoids food scares is that if a farm with 1000 turkeys has salmonella contamination, and 2 people get sick, no one is likely to find the pattern. But if 80 people get sick (as with Cargill), easier to track.

None of this is an argument against eating locally- I do it for reasons of taste as well as sustainability. But we should realize it's not possible for all, and it doesn't cure all ills.

I'm all for locavorism (locavorness? Locavority?).

The second factor is income. Betsy and I are solidly upper middle class. It's not a big deal for me to pay double for local seafood, meat, veggies. But while the average American spends about 10% of income on food, that more than doubles for those making less than poverty level. Since those incomes are smaller to start with, it's not hard to see why those people gravitate towards cheaper mass produced food (Cargill, Purdue, etc).
My point is just that the mass producers are here to stay, and are the only option for some. So it's important that there is someone keeping track.

I'd also note that local or organic is not a guarantee of food safety. One reason one avoids food scares is that if a farm with 1000 turkeys has salmonella contamination, and 2 people get sick, no one is likely to find the pattern. But if 80 people get sick (as with Cargill), easier to track.

None of this is an argument against eating locally- I do it for reasons of taste as well as sustainability. But we should realize it's not possible for all, and it doesn't cure all ills.

Your points are all well-considered, Dale, and well taken. However, I am not as convinced as you are that corporate agriculture is essential to our way of life. Yes, lower income families spend a greater percentage of their incomes on food, but those calories from Cargill et al are now too cheap, as evidenced by our epidemic of obesity. Yes, it's wishful thinking to imagine that all those families who routinely dine at Mickey D's will next week start making linguine alla puttanesca with sauteed broccoli rabe at home, but there are intermediate measures that might bridge the gap. Your point about the inherent limitations of the Hudson Valley and LI is a more trenchant one, and ultimately may limit how much local produce can make it into the NYC market, but within those constraints there is still great room for growth. In part, it may require people in certain climates to adjust their eating habits: we already don't eat fresh tomatoes, corn, berries or stone fruit out of season and rely more on preserved foods during the winter months. None of this is news, of course, but American eating habits will have to change in the long term if we are to reduce the importance of corporate agriculture.

Mark Lipton

[Robin Garr]

Your point about the inherent limitations of the Hudson Valley and LI is a more trenchant one, and ultimately may limit how much local produce can make it into the NYC market, but within those constraints there is still great room for growth.

Here's a single, anecdotal data point from a smaller metro closer to you, Mark: For a couple of years we've been getting the best free-range roasting hens I have ever tasted from Barr Farm in Rhodelia, Ky., which is just down the road a piece.

Earlier this year, a new restaurant, Harvest, opened in Louisville, featuring farm-to-table cuisine and virtually everything from local farmers. They contracted with Adam Barr to sell his chickens, and now they're taking all he can grow. We can't buy a hen from Adam at the farmers' market any more. We can go to Harvest, but there we'll pay the restaurant price, and it's insanely trendy and hard to get in.

Never have bought ground turkey.

Any reason why? Jenise posted a recipe using ground turkey for tacos that is excellent and one I have in my rotation when we want tacos. I make a great turkey burger which uses, bread crumbs, lemon juice, zest and thyme. I use caramelized balsamic onions in the burger. Our grandkids love tacos with turkey burger, which I jazz up with what they like. Just curious why you have never bought it?