(USA) The average consumer in the U.S. ate 17.6 pounds of turkey meat in 2008, making turkey the fourth most popular form of animal protein as measured by per capita consumption, behind chicken, beef and pork.
According to the Poultry Science Association, some researchers are now helping producers meet the demands of the thin slice of this market seeking "natural fed" birds -- turkeys whose diets are organic, contain no animal protein products and are antibiotic free.
Dr. Michael Hulet, associate professor in Penn State University's Department of Poultry Science, estimates that antibiotic-free (ABF), organic turkey represents approximately 2.3 percent of the total number of turkeys produced each year in the U.S. That translates into about 6 million ABF turkeys out of roughly 270 million turkeys produced in the U.S. annually.
Much of the ABF turkey meat is sold, according to Hulet, to upscale specialty retail stores in the Northeast, though shelf space is also now being provided for ABF turkey meat in many other retail outlets as well.
The relatively recent demand from a small segment of consumers for ABF turkey is one offshoot, says Hulet, of the diversification of turkey products in the marketplace.
"Turkey consumption in the U.S. has increased nearly 300 percent since 1970, largely due to the growing variety -- and increasing quality -- of turkey products being made available by producers, ranging from cuts and parts to further-processed products. The demand that producers are seeing from some consumers for antibiotic-free turkeys is a great illustration of just how flexible turkey producers have to be today to meet the demands of all segments of the market. Poultry scientists are working to help them meet that demand," said Hulet.
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