021051 Butterball Begins 22nd Year of Turkey Talk

Chicago - On Thanksgiving morning, as the combined scent of turkey, sweet potatoes and green beans fill the house, memories of close family and delicious food pour out of the kitchen. There is nothing more revered than the Thanksgiving meal of roasted Butterball turkey and mouthwatering side dishes that Americans anticipate each holiday season, and Butterball is offering great ideas to make this traditional meal more memorable.

Whether staying with the customary turkey and gravy recipes, or experimenting with fresh new spices, the team of experts from the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line at 1-800- BUTTERBALL is ready to help families put Thanksgiving feasts on the table.

"We spend ten months of the year preparing for the holiday season by keeping up on the latest food trends," says Mary Clingman, Director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. "This allows us to help the more than 164,000 Talk-Line callers with almost any turkey question. We can't afford to be stumped--someone's Thanksgiving dinner is on the line!"

These experts take their jobs very seriously. The Talk-Line is staffed by 46 professionally trained, college-educated home economists and dietitians; every member has a bachelor's degree and almost 30% possess a master's degree. During its existence, the Talk-Line staff has served up turkey advice to more than 2.6 million inquiring turkey chefs. According to a recent Butterball survey, nearly 40% of people have called someone for help or advice in preparing their Thanksgiving meals(1).

In addition to turkey preparation advice, the Talk-Line experts also provide innovative recipe ideas that will enhance the classic Thanksgiving meal without sacrificing any taste. Adding Asian-influenced spices such as cumin and ginger to conventional recipes or using fruits and nuts can spice up such staples as mashed potatoes and turkey. Although 55% of people prefer white turkey meat to dark meat(2), placing herbs and fruits under the skin of the turkey will add subtle flavors to either meat and enhance the traditional fare.

Tradition isn't only for the conventional family - the family of experts at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line created their own traditions after spending 22 Thanksgiving holidays together.

"We work at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line because we love Thanksgiving and enjoy spending our holidays with thousands of American cooks in need. Although some of us may not prepare our own Thanksgiving feasts, we never miss out on the fun. The Talk-Line team brings their favorite holiday dishes right to Talk-Line headquarters to share with our second family - each other," says Clingman.

This family of experts will also be sharing another holiday together this year as the Talk- Line extends its hours through Christmas.

Since opening as one of the first consumer help lines in 1981, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line continues to provide cooking tips and methods along with the latest holiday trends to cooks year after year.

Butterball is a registered trademark of ConAgra Foods, Inc. Copyright 2002, ConAgra Foods, Inc.

(1) Source: Market Facts survey of 1,000 adults September 20-22 for Butterball. Margin of error +/- 3.1%. (2) Ibid.

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