Turkey recall has shoppers flocking to local grocers for Thanksgiving alternatives

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This article was published 08/10/2023 (751 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just days before Thanksgiving, a Health Canada recall on turkeys prompted some Winnipeg shoppers to flock to local grocers, seeking alternatives for their festive meals.

On Saturday morning, the federal food regulator warned consumers Sunrise Farms Young Turkey with giblets may be spoiled and contaminated with non-harmful microbes. The turkeys were sold in Sobeys grocery chain locations across Western Canada.

Affected stores included FreshCo, IGA, Safeway, Sobeys and Thrifty Foods.

“I would’ve purchased turkey, but I saw that and I thought I don’t want to gamble. I don’t want to cook it and then we all get sick or something,” said Clarence Isfeld, speaking outside a Safeway on Osborne Street Sunday.

“That’s why I bought these,” he added, raising a grocery bag with a pair of rotisserie chickens inside.

The recalls affected a batch of Sunrise turkeys weighing 5 to 8 kilograms and with a best-before date of Oct. 11. A Sobeys spokesperson said such products were quickly removed from stores, but customers like Isfeld weren’t taking chances.

Rose Norris, another shopper, said she opted to purchase ham instead. While Deborah Grigaitis called the grocer she’d ordered a turkey from to ensure it wasn’t among those impacted.

Food Fare owner Husni Zeid said, while his store did not stock the tainted birds, he still received multiple phone calls from people voicing concerns.

“Customers call because they see the news and assume it might be all turkeys,” said Zeid, adding the timing of the recall could not have been worse.

“It’s not a regular item that’s just on the shelf. If you get a recall on corn starch, or baking soda or a canned good, it is very simple to replace with something else. When you’re having a Thanksgiving dinner with your whole family, it makes it hard because each supplier has a limited amount of supplies that they order.”

On Sunday, the shelves at multiple Safeway locations were full of frozen turkeys waiting to be sold.

Sobeys offered full refunds to all customers affected by the recall, but Zeid said many likely were stuck without the traditional Thanksgiving meat — which can take days to thaw from frozen, depending on the size.

He sympathized with the large-scale grocer, which likely lost thousands in tainted products and lost sales.

“It’s something they can’t control. It’s not like they make the turkeys and they grow them,” he said. “You can’t just find thousands of turkeys and say, ‘Here you go, here’s some new ones,’ it’s impossible.”

Meanwhile, Sobeys assured customers not to be concerned about future product quality.

“We continue to diligently follow all recall notices and remove any affected product in a timely manner to ensure all products on our shelves are safe to consume,” it said.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca