Major change to Christmas dinner due to turkey shortages – and shoppers need to watch out

SHOPPING for your Christmas turkey this year could be really different as the UK face big shortages.

Bird flu has killed half of free-range turkeys, pushing up prices and causing farmers to warn of shortages in shops.

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Now, shoppers are being warned that they may not be able to buy the type of bird they usually purchase for their festive fears.

A massive 600,000 of the 1.3million free range birds have been lost, according to the British Poultry Council, so if you prefer that type of bird it may be harder to find.

As some shoppers won’t be able to get free-range birds, then it could mean there’s more competition for fresh ones.

Supermarkets say they won’t run out entirely but at least two major supermarkets – Lidl and Morrisons – are believed to only be selling frozen turkeys this Christmas period.

While others, such as Aldi, will be selling previous frozen turkeys that have been thawed – so not technically fresh – following government and industry advice.

Retailers have also been given permission by the department for environment, food and rural affairs to kill birds earlier than usual and then thaw them out in the run up to Christmas.

It means these birds will be sold as “defrosted”, rather than fresh, according to the British Retail Consortium.

You can look out for the label in shops – and it will affect turkey, duck and goose products on sale from now until December 21, but it does not apply to chicken.

If you purchase a “defrosted turkey”, then you’ll either need to buy it just before Christmas Day so that it is still fresh or refreeze it.

Before you refreeze it, it needs to be completely thawed out first and then pop it back in the freezer within a couple of days.

Buying a frozen turkey means you’ll have to make time for it to defrost, this means you might have to buy it last minute, which could mean you risk not getting one, or freezing it and then defrosting it.

Depending on the weight, turkeys could take around 24 hours to thaw, and then you have to cook it – so make sure you get it out in time for Christmas Day.

It it important to defrost a turkey in the fridge, not at room temperature.

It’s up to you whether you buy your turkey ahead of time and refreeze it, or you buy it at the last minute.

Some smaller birds can be cooked from frozen, don’t forget to check the label.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk