The Benefits of Hormone- and Antibiotic-Free Turkey

Now that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about turkey. In every supermarket, you’ll find plenty of different options. Plus, local restaurants often offer deals on fully-cooked turkey. Trying to choose the right turkey can be a pain, but no matter what, it’s usually best to go with a hormone-free turkey.

There are two types of frozen turkeys you’ll find at most supermarkets: farm-raised and factory-raised. Below, we’ve covered the major differences between these two and why you should choose one over the other.

Differences between factory-raised and farm-raised turkeys

With both types of turkeys, it’s right there in the name. Farm-raised turkeys are born and raised on a farm, while factory-raised turkeys are born and raised in a factory. While some people see little difference between the two, the setting in which a turkey is raised can affect its size and health impact on humans.

Needless to say, the life of a farm-raised turkey is usually much better than that of a factory-raised turkey. Factory-raised turkeys often live in overcrowded and unsanitary facilities. Because of this, they are often given antibiotics to help stave off infections and other illnesses. For many factory-raised turkey suppliers, it’s important that their birds produce plenty of meat. To ensure this, some companies will inject their turkeys with growth hormones.

Turkeys raised on a farm aren’t usually subjected to growth hormone and antibiotic injections. They are almost always kept in clean and well-maintained conditions along with other poultry and farm animals. Thanks to these sanitary living conditions, farm-raised turkeys don’t normally require antibiotic injections.

Benefits of eating antibiotic- and hormone- free turkey

The main benefit of eating antibiotic- and hormone-free turkey is it’s better for your health. Turkeys constantly injected with antibiotics may develop immunity over time, meaning the antibiotics will no longer treat their bacterial infections. While it isn’t exactly common, ingesting a turkey with a bacterial infection could be deadly. That’s why it’s important to cook turkey thoroughly, no matter what kind you buy.

Turkeys raised on a farm are also less subject to harmful parasites that could end up later consumed by a human. These turkeys don’t have harmful chemicals coursing through their bodies like their factory-raised counterparts. So if you’re looking to eat healthier this Thanksgiving, go for farm-raised turkey.

What about other meat?

No matter what kind of meat you’re preparing, it’s always best to go with farm-raised as opposed to factory-raised. The factory conditions mentioned above for turkeys are the same for cows, chickens and most other factory-raised animals. Do yourself and your family a big favor by only buying top-quality, farm-raised meat.

Finding farm-raised turkey

Are you having trouble finding antibiotic- and hormone-free turkey at your local supermarket? Pay a visit to Tony’s Delicatessen & Fresh Meats, where all our meat is natural, grass-fed, hormone-free and antibiotic-free. You won’t find meat from factory-raised animals here! All of our products are fairly priced and assuredly fresh. Come in today and let us help you pick out the perfect bird for your Thanksgiving feast!

Categorised in: Turkey

This post was written by Writer