When you think of Thanksgiving, the focus naturally goes to the turkey and the feast. Behind that centerpiece is a supply chain: breeding, raising, transport, slaughter, and processing. In recent years, animal-welfare concerns for turkeys have received spotlight: issues such as overcrowding, fast growth, transport stress, and slaughter conditions. ISO/TS 34700:2016—Animal welfare management – General requirements and guidance for organizations in the food supply chain offers a framework for animal welfare throughout the food supply chain, including those that raise and process turkeys.
The Impact of Turkey Slaughter on Animal Welfare
An estimated 46 million turkeys are killed for Thanksgiving meals in the United States each year. This is part of the roughly 215-220 million turkeys killed annually in the U.S. for food production. While the figures are sobering, it is essential to connect this massive industry to animal welfare standards, ethics, and practices.
Understanding Ethical Thanksgiving Turkeys
Ethical Thanksgiving turkeys are those raised with higher welfare standards, focusing on outdoor access, natural diets, and humane treatment, often identified by certifications like Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved, or food labels such as heirloom or pasture-raised. These certifications and labels often indicate more humane treatment, richer flavor, and better nutritional quality due to the birds’ natural lifestyle and traditional breeds.
Why Choose Ethical Turkeys for Your Thanksgiving
Choosing ethical turkeys supports farms that avoid factory farming practices, reduce stress on birds, and often provide better environmental stewardship and a superior product.
These turkeys have access to the outdoors, are not given antibiotics or hormones, and are raised in more natural, less crowded conditions than factory-farmed birds, supporting a more sustainable food system.
What Is ISO/TS 34700:2016?
ISO/TS 34700:2016 is a technical specification that provides general requirements and guidance for animal welfare management within organizations in the food supply chain. It applies to terrestrial animals (livestock) that are bred or kept for food or feed production, covering their raising, transport, and processing. ISO/TS 34700:2016 helps companies develop and implement animal welfare plans for terrestrial animals raised for food or feed, assuring humane practices throughout their lifecycle and aligning with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards. Further, ISO/TS 34700:2016 is often assessed by services like the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to verify compliance.
You can learn more about ISO/TS 34700:2016 in out blog post ISO/TS 34700:2016— Animal Welfare Management.
Why ISO/TS 34700:2016 Is Important for Turkeys on Thanksgiving
ISO/TS 34700:2016 provides general requirements and guidance for animal welfare management within the food supply chain, directly impacting the ethical raising of turkeys for consumption on holidays like Thanksgiving. This technical specification offers a framework for companies to develop welfare plans and meet higher standards beyond basic legal requirements.
While not specific to Thanksgiving, ISO/TS 34700:2016 guides ethical practices that address concerns about factory farming, providing an international standard for humane treatment, shelter, nutrition, and natural behavior for these birds.
For consumers, choosing turkey from programs that adhere to or are certified under ISO/TS 34700:2016 principles means turkeys have likely been raised under stricter welfare guidelines than the bare minimum legal requirements.
A Thanksgiving Reflection: Bringing Animal-Welfare Standards to the Turkey Table
When you sit down for your Thanksgiving meal (or any poultry-focused celebration), the star of the feast is more than delicious — it carries a story. ISO/TS 34700:2016 invites us to tell a better version of that story: one of careful and ethical raising, respectful treatment, and mindful supply-chain choices. Thanksgiving encourages us to reflect: gratitude not only for the food, but also for the life of the animal, the people who raised it, and the animal welfare standards we uphold.
ISO/TS 34700:2016—Animal welfare management – General requirements and guidance for organizations in the food supply chain is available on the ANSI Webstore.