Some London-area meat vendors report that the supply of holiday turkeys remains unaffected, despite an ongoing avian influenza outbreak in Ontario resulting in the culling of tens of thousands of birds.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) identified highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at a North Perth farm, impacting approximately 56,000 turkeys. Last month, five additional outbreaks were reported in Strathroy-Caradoc, affecting nearly 100,000 turkeys, all of which are still active.
The CFIA announced that the affected birds will be humanely depopulated, withholding specific farm names or locations. Hayter’s Farm in Dashwood, a major turkey supplier in Ontario, confirmed no direct impact on its operations but expressed concern over a breeding supplier in Strathroy facing potential issues in the upcoming year.
Sean Maguire, CEO of Hayter’s, warned of a possible ripple effect in the next few months due to the disruption in breeding bird populations. The company clarified that turkeys already distributed for this Christmas season were healthy before the avian flu outbreak.
Although the recent turkey culls may cause industry slowdowns until breeding birds resume egg production, Maguire assured that the meat supply remains unaffected. The primary concern lies in the delay of replacement birds, affecting future turkey availability.
Regarding avian flu transmission, the CFIA stated no evidence supporting the contraction of the virus through fully cooked poultry or eggs consumption. The dominant H5N1 strain of avian flu is highly contagious within bird populations but poses minimal risk to humans unless in close contact with infected birds or contaminated environments.
Local meat vendor Pete Charlton’s Quality Meats in St. Thomas noted ongoing turkey orders for holiday meals, with an upcoming shipment of 200 turkeys expected. Despite shopper inquiries about avian flu, the tradition of ordering holiday turkeys persists, reflecting the community’s loyalty.
Other butchers in Ontario, such as Western Meats in London, also reported business as usual with recent supplier deliveries meeting expectations of product quality and availability.