Staff and wire reports

LEWISTON – Shaw’s Supermarkets in Lewiston and Auburn have pulled Shaw’s brand fresh turkeys from coolers after being advised by their supplier of an objectionable odor from 10- to 14-pound birds.

Customers who bought or were given 10- to 14-pound Shaw’s brand fresh turkeys are being advised to return them for refunds, spokesmen at both stores said Friday night.

The turkeys, supplied by Prestage Foods of St. Pauls, N.C., pose no health risk, according to Shaw’s Supermarket headquarters in West Bridgewater, Mass., but they do not meet quality requirements. The turkeys, with sell-by dates of between March 28 and April 2, may be returned to Shaw’s for a refund or exchange, the company said.

At Shaw’s in Auburn on Friday night, there were no Shaw’s fresh turkeys on shelves and no notice of refunds or problems.

Shaw’s ran a promotion, ending March 17, giving away a turkey or ham to customers who bought $400 worth of groceries. It was not clear if these turkeys were part of the giveaway.

A spokesman at the Lewiston store said Friday that some of the recalled turkeys had been sold, while others might have been given away in a promotion before the store received the recall notice. He said no one had returned any of the birds by Friday night. The spokesman did not say if signs had been posted in the store advising customers of the recall.

Evening managers at the Lewiston and Auburn stores said store managers were unavailable for comment Friday night.

A call to Prestage Foods in North Carolina to determine how many of the turkeys were shipped to the Lewiston and Auburn stores was not answered Friday night. The turkeys supplied by Prestage Foods were sold in 209 Shaw’s and Star Markets supermarkets in all six New England states.

Staff members Mary Delamater and Keith Hagel, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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