Consumers Find Tips for Perfect Holiday Meal From Members of California Poultry Federation

Consumers Find Tips for Perfect Holiday Meal From Members of California
Poultry Federation

Thanksgiving Day Help On-Line

MODESTO, Calif., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Whether it be surfing the
Web or dialing a toll-free phone number, California consumers will have plenty
of help this holiday season in preparing the perfect Thanksgiving meal.

The California Poultry Federation (CPF) offers a convenient one-stop location
on its
website -- www.cpif.org -- for those consumers looking for timely tips on
preparing the perfect holiday meal. CPF is the state's only trade association
representing all segments of the poultry industry, including turkey production
and marketing companies.

Consumers can find meal preparation tips and the perfect fresh turkey for
roasting on the websites of CPF members:
-- Foster Farms www.FosterFarms.com
-- Zacky Farms www.Zacky.com
-- Diestel Turkey Ranch www.diestelturkey.com
-- Pitman Farms- Mary's Free Range Turkeys www.marysturkeys.com
-- Willie Bird Turkeys www.williebird.com
-- Mrs. Cubbison's- dressing and recipes www.mrscubbisons.com

-- Volk Enterprises- home of the Pop-Up Timer
www.volkenterprises.com/cookbook/thingstodo.html

Also listed are the traditional toll-free hotlines for consumer questions and
cooking tips:

Foster Farms 1-800-255-7227, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST.
From Nov. 18-30, consumers can call 24-hours a day for information.

Zacky Farms 1-800-888-0235, available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m., PST. Lillian Zacky, Zacky Farms Director of Consumer Affairs, will be
featured on KTLA Channel 5 TV in the Los Angeles area Thanksgiving morning
from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to answer any turkey cooking questions.

USDA Meat and Poultry hotline 1-800-535-4555 is available Monday through
Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"Our website offers us the ability to provide turkey preparation information
to consumers 24-hours-a-day," noted CPF President Bill Mattos. "With time
being such a short commodity these days, we hope this site helps consumers
access the information they need quickly and efficiently."

California turkey producers expect to sell approximately 15 million birds this
year, with an estimated 40-45% of those sales coming during the holiday
season, points out Mattos. Annual per-capita turkey consumption in California
is 20 pounds, compared to 18 pounds per-capita in the United States.
Nationwide, nearly 300 million turkeys are expected to be sold this year.
California ranks among the top 6 turkey-producing states. "We think we'll see
an increased demand this year for California grown turkeys," said Mattos.

Consumers looking for a fresh bird need to keep an eye out for the "fresh"
label, advises Mattos, to make sure they are getting a truly fresh bird.

"The vast majority of our turkey sales are of fresh product," explained
Mattos. "California consumers have shown a preference for fresh and our advice
is that consumers look for the fresh label to make sure they are getting a
bird that has been kept at 26 degrees Fahrenheit or above. If the label
doesn't say fresh, it's probably frozen."

Mattos cautions consumers that demand will be high this Thanksgiving and they
should place their orders early. "You should order your fresh turkey seven to
10 days before Thanksgiving in order to make sure you will get the bird you
want," says Mattos.

(Editors note: Further information about California turkey production and
supply for the holiday season is available by contacting Mattos at (209)
576-6355.)

Contact: Bill Mattos, (209) 576-6355

SOURCE CA Poultry Industry Federation

Bill Mattos, +1-209- 576-6355