Lunds Recalls Turkeys Due to ‘Off Odors’

Just two days before Thanksgiving, Minnesota-based Lund Food Holdings Inc. yanked some of its turkeys from store shelves after they were discovered to have “off odors.”

Employees doing spot checks on merchandise noticed a “bubbling” on the packaging of some turkeys, explained Aaron Sorenson, spokesman for the Twin Cities-area grocer. Unpackaging these turkeys released a gaseous odor that “could lead to an undesirable eating experience,” he said, noting that the company is still investigating the cause of the problem.

No reports of illness

There have been no reports of health or safety concerns connected with affected birds, sold as Lunds & Byerlys Fresh All-Natural Brined Whole Turkey in four size ranges from 10 to 24 pounds.

“While we have no knowledge of the product posing a health or safety risk, it does not meet our quality standards,” the retailer said in a statement.

Any customers who purchased these turkeys between Nov.18 and 23 should return them to any Lunds & Byerlys store for a full refund, the company advised. The recall does not affect any of the brand’s other turkey products.

The withdrawn turkeys make up about 2 percent of Lunds & Byerlys’ overall turkey sales, the grocer reported.

"This was certainly an unfortunate inconvenience for our customers," Sorenson told PG. "One piece of good news is that because we proactively withdrew this product from our stores and then quickly communicated to the media and directly to our customers through store signage and all of our digital channels, we were able to ensure many of these turkeys were returned to our stores for another fresh turkey. That should lead to enjoyable Thanksgiving meal experiences for those customers."