Historians are still unsure if turkey meat was served at the First Thanksgiving, but nonetheless, these affectionate and social birds have been considered a Thanksgiving staple for centuries.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that nearly 224 million turkeys are killed each year. Of those about 45 million are killed for Thanksgiving meals, according to the National Turkey Federation.
Domestic turkeys, the ones you find in supermarkets for Thanksgiving, can live for up to 10 years. These oversized turkeys are not bred to live long-term; they are slaughtered at around five months old.
Modern domestic turkeys are selectively bred to produce more meat and grow so big that they cannot perform normal functions like walking and breathing properly. These birds cannot even mate on their own and are forcibly artificially inseminated. Today, turkeys are twice the size of turkeys from less than one hundred years ago.
Turkeys endure immense suffering, physically and mentally, before ending up on a platter. They are stripped of their natural environments, treated poorly, and slaughtered in horrific ways.
Thanksgiving is a beloved American holiday centered around food, family and football. The traditional centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal is a huge roasted turkey. However, there are many reasons why you should consider skipping the turkey this year and opting for a vegetarian main dish instead.
Health Risks of Eating Turkey
Eating turkey poses some health risks that you may want to avoid
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Salmonella – Raw turkey is often contaminated with salmonella bacteria. The CDC estimates salmonella causes 1 million foodborne illnesses annually. Consuming undercooked turkey can cause nasty symptoms like diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
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Campylobacter – This bacteria infects over 1.3 million Americans each year through foodborne illness. It’s commonly found in raw and undercooked poultry and causes diarrhea, cramping, nausea and fever.
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Allergic Reactions – Many people are allergic to turkey meat. Reactions can range from mild itching to a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. If you experience symptoms like hives, swelling or difficulty breathing after eating turkey, see a doctor.
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Added Hormones – Some conventional turkeys are given hormone injections to speed growth. These added hormones may have negative health effects if consumed regularly.
Ethical Issues With Turkey Farming
Mass production of turkeys on factory farms raises some ethical concerns as well. Here are a few to consider:
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Turkeys are overcrowded into windowless warehouses where diseases can spread rapidly
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To prevent injury from overcrowding, turkeys are painfully debeaked without anesthesia.
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Rapid growth from selective breeding causes turkeys to develop leg deformities and heart problems.
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Workers in turkey processing plants face hazardous conditions and injuries on the job.
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Slaughtering methods are often inhumane, causing fear and pain in the birds’ final moments.
Huge Environmental Impact
The production of turkey meat takes a heavy toll on the environment:
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Raising turkeys produces 26% more greenhouse gases than chicken, pork or beef.
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It takes 4,300 gallons of water to produce just one turkey for slaughter.
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Clearing land for animal agriculture contributes to deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
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Turkey waste leaks into waterways, causing algal blooms and dead zones devoid of oxygen.
Putrefying Bacteria Found in Turkey
What’s bugging you? There are all sorts of bacteria found in turkey flesh, including salmonella and campylobacter that can cause food poisoning.
Consuming animals also raises the risk of developing infections from antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Bacteria like MRSA, C. difficile and CRE thrive in factory farm settings where antibiotics are heavily used.
Delicious Vegetarian Main Dish Alternatives
Luckily, it’s easier than ever to make a festive plant-based Thanksgiving centerpiece. Consider these tasty meatless mains:
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Roast cauliflower or butternut squash
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Mushroom wellington
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Root vegetable pot pie
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Veggie casserole or lasagna
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Lentil or quinoa loaf
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Savory nut roast
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Veggie pot stickers or samosas
With so many downsides to turkey and so many delicious alternatives, this year may be the perfect time to start a new, eco-friendly Thanksgiving tradition. Going turkey-free reduces health risks, environmental damage and animal suffering while letting you experience new flavors.
So be brave this Thanksgiving and leave the turkey off your table — your body, the planet and the turkeys will thank you!
Dismal Working Conditions on Turkey Farms
In industrial agriculture, expectations are high to work quickly and process as much meat, milk or eggs as possible. When production speeds are increased, animals are not the only ones who are injured; the physical and mental health of workers is often compromised.
In 2018, the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism compiled data from U.S. meat plant workers and found that “amputations, fractured fingers, second-degree burns and head trauma” are among the potential injuries workers face every day. Records gathered from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) showed that on average, 17 severe accidents — meaning workers were hospitalized, lost an eye, or needed an amputation — occur each month at slaughterhouses and animal exploitation facilities around the country.
According to the data, amputations occur twice per week, on average. From 2015-2017, 270 incidents were documented which involved the amputation of fingers or fingertips, hands, arms, or toes. When production speeds are at the top of the priorities list, workers are bound to get hurt. Increased production pressures negatively impact the animals as well, since courtesy goes out the window as workers are expected to process hundreds of birds per day.
Jessica Robertson and another USDA inspector, Tina McClellan, confided in each other after experiencing itchy eyes, shortness of breath, coughing fits, bloody noses, headaches, nausea, and respiratory issues. Other workers at the plant reassured Robertson that they too were experiencing the same issues.
Turkeys Are Kept In Poor Conditions
In the wild, turkeys love to forage, build nests, and roam around their natural territories, which often stretch over 1,000 acres. Domestic turkeys bred for meat, on the other hand, are forced to live in cramped conditions inside dark sheds with nowhere to roam, forage or build a nest.
Due to the high-stress environments in which young turkeys live, aggressive behavior is common. But instead of raising turkeys in less crowded conditions, farmers reduce the risk of turkey-inflicted injury by searing off their beaks, cutting off their toes, and slicing off their snoods — the red dangling skin that hangs over a turkey’s beak — without anesthetics.
Turkeys are also packed into dark buildings with dim artificial lighting by the hundreds, even thousands. Instead of grass, these birds — who can still be labeled “cage-free” — stomp on concrete or straw within the buildings. Those who are not “lucky” enough to be cage-free are confined to wire enclosures until they are slaughtered.
Conditions inside factory farms are cramped, stressful and filthy. Infections are common since thousands of birds are packed into one common living space without proper care. Some turkeys suffer from skin infections after being pecked by other birds, which is a common behavior on industrial farms.
Often the large buildings housing the turkeys are not properly cleaned, so birds are forced to live in their own excrement. As a result, ammonia levels rise and birds can develop painful burns and lesions on their feet and legs. The ammonia can also negatively impact turkeys’ respiratory health. Excessive ammonia exposure can also cause hemorrhaging in the birds’ tracheas and bronchi as well as the thickening of atrial walls and shrinking of air capillaries in their lungs.
Most American turkeys are given antibiotics to reduce the risk of spreading salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, E. coli and other bacteria to humans. Yet drug-resistant strains of these bacteria are infecting people around the country.
Why you shouldn’t eat turkeys for Thanksgiving
FAQ
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