Some frequently asked questions about Turkey Hill.

About Turkey Hill

1. Just where exactly is Turkey Hill Dairy?View answer

   You'll find us in Lancaster County, Pa., about 90 miles west of Philadelphia, right along the Susquehanna River. Turkey Hill is located within the fertile farmland of Manor Township. Most folks around here are descendants of German and Swiss immigrants who came here in the late 1600 and 1700s. Many came to escape religious persecution. The beautiful, well maintained farms of the area are dotted with 100 to 200 year old farm houses and barns.

   Many of our coworkers have grown up in the area and with Turkey Hill. Their families taught them to be hardworking, trustworthy and responsible adults. We know that these people are one of Turkey Hill's greatest assets. Everyone, from the person who unloads the cream to the person who drives the truck filled with ice cream to the store, cares about the quality of our products and takes pride in working for Turkey Hill.

2. Who in the world came up with the name Turkey Hill?View answer

   Actually, Turkey Hill Dairy is named after the land it's built on - a ridge called "Turkey Hill". The Susquehannock Indians who originally resided in the area named the ridge. You guessed it - they found the ridge to be a great place for hunting turkeys and called it "Turkey Hill". The ridge juts out into the Susquehanna river and the top has wonderful views of the river and York county across the river. This is a favorite lunchtime walk of many employees. Sometimes you may even spot a bald eagle from the lookout - hunting over the river.

   Thomas and Richard Penn, sons of William Penn (You know - the guy Pennsylvania & Penn's Woods were named after.), deeded the original farm where the dairy stands to the Frey family's ancestors. The deeds were written on sheepskin, and are a highly prized family possession today. There is a copy in our conference room.

3. What does Turkey Hill make?View answer

   Turkey Hill makes a full line of frozen dairy treats. They include Premium Ice Cream, All Natural Ice Cream, Light Ice Cream, Fat Free No Sugar Added Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Sherbet, Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Sundae Cones. Overall we make about 80-90 different flavors and products every year.

   We also make an extensive line of Iced Teas and Fruit Drinks. This includes flavors like Lemon Tea, Raspberry Tea, and Peach Tea. The fruit drinks include flavors like Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade and Orangeade.

   And, of course, we are a dairy. And that means milk. We offer a full line of milks - whole milk, 2% reduced fat milk, 1% lowfat milk, fat free milk, chocolate milk, and strawberry milk.

4. Do you own the Turkey Hill Minit Markets?View answer

   No we don't. The Turkey Hill Minit Markets were started by the Frey family as a way to market our products. They now function as a separate sister company to the dairy. The Minit Markets are a great place to find a wide selection of our milk, drinks, and frozen dairy desserts, plus a lot of other products.

5. Are Turkey Hill employees Amish?View answer

   No. At this time none of our employees are Amish. The Amish are a religious group that believes in living simple, pious lives. Most of the Amish people in our area are self-employed as farmers or skilled trade workers. This works best for them as they strive to remain separate from our modern world. But they are great neighbors! And they are an important part of the culture of our area.

6. Do you offer plant tours?View answer

   No we don't presently have plant tours. We would love to be able to show folks around, but we don't have the right facilities to keep both our visitors and our products safe. In the future, we hope to be able to offer tours, but we're not sure when that will happen.

7. Are Turkey Hill products kosher?View answer

   Yes. All products manufactured by Turkey Hill carry the O-U kosher certification. At the present time, none of our products are kosher for Passover. All new flavors are approved and certified kosher before we produce them.

About Ice Cream

1. What is "Dutched" cocoa?View answer

   Our cocoa goes through a special process called "Dutching". This is an alkaline treatment of the cocoa bean center prior to grinding, which neutralizes the bitter, acid flavor found in natural cocoa. We prefer this smoother chocolate taste in our products.

2. What are stabilizers and emulsifiers?View answer

   Stabilizers and emulsifiers are ingredients which capture the water in our ice cream and frozen yogurt and prevent it from forming ice crystals after the product is deep frozen and stored. Carrageenan, cellulose gum or gel, and guar gum are vegetable gums taken from plants. Malto-dextrin is a small particle made from corn.

   Mono and diglycerides are emulsifiers which facilitate mixing during the manufacturing process. These emulsifiers are derived from vegetable oils.

   We add these ingredients to help create and preserve our frozen desserts. They are important because of the body and texture they create in the frozen desserts.

3. What is phenylalanine?View answer

   Phenylalanine is one of the 9 essential amino acids humans need to produce proteins. It occurs naturally in almost all foods that contain protein. Best sources are chicken, beef, pork, soybeans and kidney beans. Other foods such as milk and eggs contain phenylalanine in lesser amounts.

4. Why is there a warning on some of your labels about phenylalanine?View answer

   Some children are born with a genetic condition known as PKU, or phenylketonuria. People with PKU are unable to break down phenylalanine and can suffer mental retardation if they consume too much of this protein. All children in the U.S. are tested for this condition at birth. The warning appears on our containers to alert PKU sufferers because they must follow a diet which severely limits the amount of phenylalanine they consume.

5. My ice cream tastes icy and grainy. What happened?View answer

   This is a condition commonly referred to as "heat shock" or temperature abuse. This occurs when the product is allowed to warm and soften and then is refrozen. When this happens, some of the air whipped into the product escapes. Because this air gives the product its unique texture and flavor, when the product is refrozen, it takes on a harder, icy consistency and the flavor is often affected.

6. How can your products be called fat free when they have oils in them?View answer

   The FDA defines nonfat as having less than .5 grams of fat per serving. All Turkey Hill nonfat yogurt and fat free ice cream products meet this requirement.

7. Do Turkey Hill products contain caffeine?View answer

   Frozen dairy desserts with coffee or chocolate flavoring do contain caffeine - generally 10-15 mg per serving for coffee flavors and 5-10 mg per serving for chocolate flavors.

8. What is a Limited Edition Flavor?View answer

   In order to offer our customers a chance to enjoy all of the delicious flavors we can make, we created our Limited Edition program. About once a month, we make a new flavor that is available for a limited time. Although everyone has their favorites they would like to see available year round, the feature flavor program allows us to offer a larger variety of flavors within the limitations of the supermarket shelf space available to us.

9. What is the most popular flavor of ice cream?View answer

   Vanilla is our most popular premium flavor, with Vanilla Bean placing second. But when you combine the sales of our Vanilla, Vanilla Bean and French Vanilla flavors, Turkey Hill follows the national pattern, making Vanilla the most popular flavor.

About Drinks

1. Does Turkey Hill Iced Tea contain caffeine?View answer

   Most Turkey Hill teas do contain caffeine, about 30-55 mg per serving. But we also manufacture a selection of decaffeinated teas (with just 3-5 mg. per serving) for customers who prefer to avoid caffeine. These flavors include Decaffeinated Iced Tea, Diet Decaffeinated Iced Tea, and Diet Decaffeinated Orange Iced Tea. Also, Turkey Hill Lemonades and Orangeade are excellent caffeine-free selections.

2. Do I have to store Turkey Hill drinks in the refrigerator?View answer

   Yes. Turkey Hill products are manufactured cold and must be kept cold to avoid breakdown and fermentation. Turkey Hill products do not contain the many preservatives required to produce a shelf-stable product out of refrigeration.

3. Can Turkey Hill Iced Teas be frozen?View answer

   Yes. You can freeze our teas with minimal effect on the flavor of the product. We suggest letting a little out of the container first to allow room for expansion. When thawing frozen tea, it is best to allow the tea to thaw in the refrigerator and be sure to shake it well before serving.

4. How long can I keep using Turkey Hill drinks after the sell-by-date?View answer

   If your product has been kept very cold at all times, you should be able to use the product up to a week past the printed sell-by-date - maybe even longer! Just check the appearance, smell and taste of the product. If it looks, smells and tastes normal to you, it is okay to drink. Signs that your tea is starting to break down or ferment include a fruity or cider-like taste, an off color and perhaps a change in the aroma of the product.

About Distribution

1. Why can't I get every flavor Turkey Hill makes at my neighborhood supermarket?View answer

   Different stores carry different flavors. Each store chain headquarters picks the flavors they will allow their stores to carry. In turn, each store orders what they want from that list. We would love every store to carry every one of our flavors, but shelf space is limited.

2. Where can I find Turkey Hill products in my neighborhood?View answer

   Turkey Hill distributes frozen dairy desserts and drinks from Vermont to Virginia. Click here for information about the store nearest you. Turkey Hill milk products are available in many locations within our Lancaster County, Pa. marketing area. In addition, many Lancaster area schools, hospitals and restaurants serve Turkey Hill products.