Turkey: Turkey in the Early Twenty-First Century

In addition to health concerns, the turkey industry faced another major problem: the high concentration of sales before Thanksgiving and Christmas and almost nonexistent sales throughout the rest of the year. To attract year-round buyers, new products were created, such as turkey roll, which many consumers claimed did not taste like turkey, and ground dark turkey meat, which required considerable research. The industry launched a promotional campaign encouraging consumers to substitute turkey meat in traditional chicken and beef dishes. This campaign included circulation of recipe booklets, posters, print advertisements, and other consumer education materials. Turkey consumption has increased throughout the year, but the major reasons for this change have been the consumption of turkey sandwiches and the increase in the sale of frozen dinners that contain turkey.