There is not a lot turkey farmers can do to produce the smaller turkeys that industry analysts say will be in big demand in a year when big Thanksgiving gatherings have been cancelled in favor of smaller, safer ones. By Susan Scutti, CNN Updated 9:53 PM EDT, Thu March 14, 2019 (CNN) — Butterball … The Butterball Turkey Talk Line, which for 39 years has been answering consumers’ Thanksgiving cooking questions, is predicting greater demand than ever from panicked first … Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. Contracts to buy the baby turkeys called poults are often written a year in advance, and growing those poults to the proper size for the market takes months. Kroger executives are closely studying their own data, which show 43 percent of their shoppers will limit Thanksgiving to only the people already in their households. The pivot is harder for the nation’s largest producers of whole turkeys, who are wrestling with both the health and the economic realities of Covid-19. Leap since 1918 National turkey Federation said frozen turkeys make up 80 percent of sales... Crisis swept from country to country, the UK 's cheapest fresh from! The experts who answer calls for Butterball every year are used to working together at the Turkey Talk-Line headquarters near Chicago. There’s a simple formula when deciding which bird to buy: “Two pounds per person,” Johnson said. By Paul Hiebert. “I can see more young consumers for the first time in their lives hosting a small Thanksgiving at home, and trying to roast their first turkey,” she said. Even if farmers wanted to raise smaller turkeys, it’s not that easy. Cooks around the country are just starting to calculate menus and decide how many guests they can safely host for Thanksgiving. At its Turkey Talk-Line, which opens on Nov. 2, experts are gearing up to answer what is expected to be a flood of calls from novice hosts. Instead of setting up most of his packaged Thanksgiving dinners for eight people, he is increasing the packages for four. Butterball. Just parts? “We’re in the Chicago area, it’s a little chilly here today. November 2, 2020 . John Peterson, a farmer in Cannon Falls, Minn., is trying to anticipate what customers who travel to his family’s Ferndale Market for their Thanksgiving turkeys will want during a holiday changed by the pandemic. DelMarVa’s Premier Source for Conservative News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest, Contact Publisher Joe Albero at [email protected] or 410-430-5349, The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers. Nearly 70 percent of Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving differently this year, according to a consumer survey released last month by the Chicago-based market research firm Numerator. Although grocery store sales are up, coronavirus lockdowns have crushed the market for sliced turkey at sub shops, college cafeterias and catered events. He is making similar tweaks to his flock. He is doing what he can to keep the turkeys small, like slaughtering some earlier than he might in a normal year. Still, the sellers of whole turkeys are optimistic. The ground turkey was sold in either 48-ounce or 16-ounce plastic-wrapped trays, all with a “sell or freeze by” date of July 26, 2018. Tune in next Sunday, November 22nd as Nolan rejoins the show for a second edition of the Turkey Talk Line on WGN Radio. Garner, North Carolina -- March 13, 2019 -- Butterball, LLC today recalled a limited number of ground turkey products with a use- or sell-by date of July 26, 2018 due to potential to be contaminated with Salmonella Schwarzengrund. In November and December 2018, Jennie-O recalled packages of ground turkey for possible contamination with Salmonella Reading. Smaller ones? Butterball Turkey Talk Line Supervisor Bill Nolan answers all of your questions about preparing, cooking and eating your bird this Thanksgiving. “How that translates to the size of the bird people want is something we are a little less clear on.”. “Our messaging needs to be that no matter what size bird you get, there are great leftover recipes,” said Nicole Behne, vice president of marketing for the brand. Individual prices at stores may vary. With unemployment at record levels, many households have tighter budgets and will likely spend less this year on Thanksgiving, some research shows. And although no turkey farmer likes to hear this, some cooks may simply decide to go all in on a big chicken. Its ok, the world wont end if u buck tradition….really it wont. But that’s not a sure bet. If you encountered any difficulties with the accessibility of this website, please contact Butterball by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling 1-800-BUTTERBALL (800-288-8372). This is the third recall involving ground turkey in five months. With public health officials urging against large gatherings, Thanksgiving will look different this year. The marketing team at Jennie-O, based in Minnesota, are preparing for a flood of first-time turkey cooks by promoting a whole turkey specifically processed to go straight from the freezer to the oven. They’ve also designed a media campaign based on smaller gatherings where less turkey will be consumed. Butterball, LLC strives to make its web experience accessible to all users. He expects good sales overall. “We’re getting a lot of request for ways to prepare your turkey outdoors,” Johnson said. 2020 Election Business ... 39 tons of Butterball ground turkey recalled after salmonella cases. Consumer research from both Butterball and Hormel Foods, which together sell most of the more than 40 million whole turkeys that are eaten for Thanksgiving, suggests that big gatherings will be broken into several smaller ones, most of which will still center on turkey. This year, they’ll be taking calls from home. (For the first time in its 39-year history, the talk-line experts will be taking calls remotely rather than from the Butterball call center and test kitchen in an office near Chicago.). “And that’s encouraging a lot of leftovers.”. “For us to have any meaningful impact on changing anything for Thanksgiving, those decisions had to be made in March or April.”. Mr. Peterson is president of the turkey research and promotion council for Minnesota, the nation’s top turkey-producing state. Still, no one can really foretell what the American appetite for whole turkeys will be this year, or whether the desire to be together with the people who always come to Thanksgiving will outweigh concerns about Covid. If u have a frozen turkey…prob wise to start defrosting NOW. The Butterball Hotline has answered thousands of questions about turkey over the years. Butterball hotline staffer recalls strange calls, offers important turkey cooking advice . Andrea Balitewicz Visit Butterball.com to find information at the click of a button. Butterball hotline staffer recalls strange calls, offers important turkey cooking advice The Butterball Hotline has answered thousands of questions about turkey over the years. Just how many whole turkeys will Americans cook this year for a holiday whose wings have been clipped by the pandemic? 'Just serve the Biden-Harris turkey, and you'll be free to gather,' said a Butterball spokesperson. “We could actually see something of a run on turkeys,” said Mark Jordan, the executive director of Leap Market Analytics, in Arkansas, who studies the turkey market. “I’m already seeing a lot of requests for smaller gatherings, which in turn leads to more first-time cooks,” she said. Copyright © 2021 sbynews Powered by sbynews. Farmers and retailers are already placing their bets. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. The virus charged through some poultry packing plants at alarming rates, forcing temporary closings and a call for improved working conditions. “Nobody’s going to skip Thanksgiving,” he said. “It’s not an industry in which you can quickly pivot,” said John Peterson, whose family has owned the 140-acre Ferndale Market in Cannon Falls, Minn., for 80 years. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. “I’m on pins and needles about both.”. Beyond the whole-bird trade, the turkey business has been hurting. In July, Butterball reported losing $27 million in the second quarter of year. Also, if u buy a frozen turkey tomorrow or Wed…turkey dinner would be this weekend and NOT thursday. The revised plans are motivated in no small part by new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend skipping holiday travel and limiting Thanksgiving celebrations to people living in the same household. This year's team will be working remotely, like so many others. After seven months of taking their kitchens through the paces, many cooks are much more mindful of food waste. All indications are that the holiday gatherings that used to bring together dozens of people to share one or two turkeys will be scuttled in favor of smaller celebrations. But we’re seeing a lot of requests for outdoor preparations, whether it’s charcoal grill, gas grills, a deep-frying method.”. Along with avoiding burning the bird, many first-timers are looking at alternatives to the traditional oven roasting method. “A lot of those first-time cooks that we’re seeing this year … they’re asking what size (turkey) should I purchase, and should I buy fresh or frozen.”. That has led to changes to another longstanding tradition: the Butterball Turkey Talk Line. Without big gatherings, will Americans buy whole birds? “That’s the big question on the tip of everybody’s tongue,” said Stew Leonard Jr., who expects to sell 20 percent fewer big turkeys at the seven stores his family owns in the Northeast. “The silver lining is that people are actually interested in cooking. If u have a frozen turkey…prob wise to start defrosting NOW. That could lead to a run on small turkeys, a higher-than-usual demand for parts like whole breasts, and higher prices across the board. But for months, the people who grow and sell the centerpiece of the meal have been doing their own kind of turkey math. The calculations are tricky. Leftover recipes and food storage tips also will be a bigger focus this year at Butterball, where research indicates that only a quarter of all consumers plan to buy smaller turkeys than usual. Because the cooperative sells directly to families and isn’t locked into a supermarket chain’s schedule, farmers have been able to move processing timelines in an attempt to produce smaller birds, he said. Since the line opened earlier this month, she has noticed many questions from people who would normally be part of a bigger gathering but are opting to stay home this year. The thought of a whole turkey for only a few guests might not make sense, said Dasha Shor, a registered dietitian and food analyst who specializes in meat and meat alternatives for Mintel, a global market research company. Most importantly, as soon as the bird it removed from the oven, put a mask on it. Waste, too, is top of mind. By now it’s a familiar refrain. Stew Leonard’s is ordering fewer big turkeys and more small birds this year. “We’re talking about doing some bigger chickens, too, to give people options,” Mr. Hopkins said. Products recalled: 16- and 48-ounce plastic-wrapped trays of Butterball, Kroger, and Food Lion ground turkey with a sell-by or freeze-by date of July 26, 2018, a lot code of 8188, and “EST. Almost half of consumers want to cook at home, and get better at it.”. Cody Hopkins runs a livestock cooperative of 40 farms mostly in Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri that will ship out about 3,000 broad-breasted whites — by far the most common American breed — that have been raised on pasture. Butterball, perhaps the nation's best-known turkey brand, recalled 39 tons of raw turkey possibly tainted with salmonella and distributed to institutions … Of activity applies to the Butterball brand and does not apply to frozen sold!, a new recall has been announced by WinCo Foods and the FDA for the biggest turkey-eating day the! “There is almost this perfect storm for the whole bird,” she said. Recalls Profile Menu ... you from running between stores (and increasing your risk for a coronavirus exposure), we went "shopping" for the best turkey prices of 2020. GARNER, NC - Butterball is releasing a new turkey with a Biden-Harris logo seared right into its delicious skin so you can just claim your Thanksgiving gathering is a political rally, bypassing local restrictions against celebrating the holiday. A third of the respondents to the Butterball survey said they were considering serving dinner outdoors, and the number of people who plan to host only their immediate family has jumped to 30 percent, from 18 percent last year. November 23, 2020 at 10:18 am. The uncertainty is not unlike the upcoming presidential election, said Ms. Shor, the analyst from Mintel. UPDATE: Butterball Ground Turkey Recalled After 6 Salmonella Illnesses Reported. Your email address will not be published. The co-op is also planning to sell more turkey wings and breasts. Genetics, coupled with economically driven feed formulas, produce birds that mature at a predetermined size in a set amount of time. Another thing, thanksgiving can be celebrated any time…not just a thursday at the end of November. Butterball's Turkey Talk-Line staff in 1988. March 2019 — Butterball announced a recall for over 78,000 pounds of raw ground turkey that may be contaminated with Salmonella. 2 thoughts on “Lets talk turkey, the Butterball helpline is getting tons of questions from new cooks” Anonymous. And shoppers, take note: Inexpensive supermarket birds, which serve as enticements called loss leaders, might be harder to find, poultry analysts say. A Disrupted Thanksgiving Leaves the Turkey Business Guessing. About a quarter of the 160,000 turkeys he will grow this year will be sold for the holidays. For these prices, we reviewed sales papers and weekly ads of national and regional grocery stores and wholesale clubs on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020 for a variety of locations nationwide. Also, if u buy a frozen turkey tomorrow or Wed…turkey dinner would be this weekend and NOT thursday. With recipes, tips, how-to videos and more, Butterball.com has tried and true advice from the Turkey … As a result, she predicted, more people than ever before will be trying to replicate the Thanksgiving dinner they grew up eating. Mr. Leonard has increased his order for birds that weigh less than 16 pounds by 20 percent, and will add more individual turkey breasts to the mix. “It’s really the size of the celebrations that has changed,” said Joel Brandenberger, president of the National Turkey Federation. At its Turkey Talk-Line, which opens on Nov. 2, experts are gearing up to answer what is expected to be a flood of calls from novice hosts.