Foster Farms launches premium deli turkey with sandwich contest

Foster Farms has launched its first premium lunch meat – turkey with reduced sodium, little fat, and no nitrates or nitrites.

The Livingston-based company is celebrating the milestone with a turkey sandwich recipe contest. The grand prize is a luxury weekend for two in Napa Valley, or $4,000 in cash.

The new lunch meat comes in 8-ounce packages at a suggested $5.99, more than the typical deli products from the Foster Farms turkey operation in Turlock. It is 98 percent fat free and has 35 percent less sodium than the conventional version. The meat is preserved without the use of nitrates and nitrites, which some believe have a link to cancer, though that is disputed by many scientists.

“We wanted to create a new line of premium lunch meats that boasted nutritional benefits without sacrificing great taste or quality,” said T.J. Johnson, director of marketing for Foster Farms turkey, in a news release. “We have received great feedback from consumers who love the product taste and appreciate the lower sodium content.”

The meat is marketed under the All Natural label in two flavors – “slow oven roasted” and “honey roasted and smoked.” It is in stores throughout California, Oregon and Washington, a region already dominated by Foster Farms with hundreds of other turkey and chicken products.

The launch comes two months after the company introduced its first organic and antibiotic-free poultry – raw whole chickens and chicken parts. That was followed by organic ground turkey, which will be joined by whole turkeys by Thanksgiving and other raw products after that.

The recipe contest, dubbed Don’t Call Me Basic, is part of National Sandwich Month. Along with the Napa trip for the winner, there will be weekly drawings among entrants in August for either a high-end panini press or a gourmet picnic basket set.

Foster Farms invites consumers to use the new sliced turkey in creative sandwiches and post photos and recipes on Instagram with the tagging @FosterFarms and #DontCallMeBasic. Entries also can be emailed to dontcallmebasic@fosterfarms.com. The deadline is Aug. 31 for the contest, open to U.S. residents over 18.

This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Foster Farms launches premium deli turkey with sandwich contest."