Cargill has become the latest US company to launch a range of antibiotic-free meat products with the roll out of antibiotic-free turkeys.
Sold under its Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White brands, the turkeys – raised by 700 independent farmers – are reared without growth-promoting antibiotics.
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Cargill claims the brands are the “first major turkey brands” to implement such a change on a “large scale”.
“Consumers today are becoming more interested in what goes into raising their food before it reaches their plate,” Jan Hood, marketing leader for Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White turkey, said. “We’ve been listening to what they are looking for in turkey – or more importantly, what they aren’t looking for – and have chosen to remove growth-promoting antibiotics from our turkey flocks because consumers want it and we believe it’s the right thing to do for the turkeys in our care.”
Cargill also said the turkeys will be available “without the premium price tag”.
“We believe that good food should be accessible to everyone. That’s why we are making our fresh turkeys raised without growth-promoting antibiotics at a price comparable to conventionally-raised turkeys,” Hood added.
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By GlobalDataOrganic and antibiotic-free poultry and meat is becoming increasingly popular among consumers. In September, Perdue Foods said it would end antibiotic use in its hatcheries and in June this year Creekstone Farms announced the launch of a line of antibiotic, nitrate, MSG and gluten-free pork.
