Thanksgiving Turkey Cooking Alert: Experts Now โSayโฆ don’t.
new York,NY – A growing chorus of animal welfare advocates adn food safety experts are issuingโข a stark warning this Thanksgiving: reconsiderโ cooking a turkey. Citing concerns ranging from the inherent risks of salmonella and Campylobacter contamination to the ethical โimplications of industrial turkey โfarming, organizations like farm Sanctuaryโฃ are actively promoting turkey-free thanksgiving celebrations. The shiftโ comes as โconsumer awareness of food production practices โขincreases and option holiday meal options gain traction.
For โคgenerations,โฃ the roastedโ turkey has been the centerpiece of the American Thanksgiving feast. But a confluence of factors – including documented outbreaks of foodborne illness linked to turkey products, the often-brutal conditions in which turkeys โขare raised, andโฃ a risingโ interest in plant-based diets – is prompting aโ reevaluation of this tradition. The callโค toโ forgo turkey isn’t about eliminating Thanksgiving,โข but about reimagining itโ with compassion and safety in mind, advocates say. โข
Farm Sanctuary, anโ association in upstate New York dedicated to rescuing farmโข animals,โ highlights the often-overlookedโ suffering inherent in the turkey industry. “Turkeys raised for meat are often subjected to crowded, unsanitary conditions and painful procedures,” explains Jo-Anne McArthur, a photographer documenting animal lives through We Animals. “They deserveโค to live outโข their โnatural lives with dignity, and choosing a turkey-freeโ Thanksgiving is one way to honor that.”
Beyond ethical concerns, food safety experts point to the high risk of contamination. Turkeys carry Campylobacter and Salmonella at higher rates than other poultry, and improper handling during preparation can easily lead toโ illness. The USDA estimates that poultryโค causes 1 million illnesses, 10,000 hospitalizations, and 160 โขdeaths each year.
Alternatives to the traditional turkey are plentiful.Many families are opting for plant-based roasts, ham, duck, or simply focusing on the abundant side dishes that โdefine the โขThanksgiving table.”thanksgiving is about gratitude and connection, not necessarily โคabout a specific protein,” says a spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary.”There are โขcountless ways to create โa โฃdelicious and meaningful holiday meal without contributing to animalโ suffering or risking foodborne illness.”
This story was โoriginally published โin 2024 and has been updated for 2025.