Page 47 - Turkey Book from Meathead

But fresh meat doesn't stay fresh forever. Buy a truly fresh turkey only if you are certain it has been killed within a week of the date you will consume it.
A thought: In an ecient slaughterhouse operation, turkeys are flash frozen in extreme cold. This process forms smaller ice crystals and that helps prevent purge. We would rather have a bird that was flash frozen right after slaughter than a so-called “fresh” bird that has been sitting around in the fridge for a couple of weeks at 26°F.
Bottom line: Proper cooking is far more important than having a fresh bird.