Altogether, 75 different hot dog brands from 10 different retailers were studied. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. And for most of the Internet, it was enough reason to go into full-on panic mode. Hot dogs have never been seen as prime cuts of meat, but a new study has found human DNA in some samples. (Substitution meanswhen ingredients are added to the productthat are not displayed on the label and hygienic issues happen when a "non-harmful contaminant is introduced to the hot dog."). The study indicates that many people could be eating pork without realizing it, although kosher hot dogs were found to be safe. It did not. Two-thirds of that human DNA was found in vegetarian hot dogs. In light of the news that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially listed processed meats such as bacon and sausages as cancer-causing, this is probably the least of your worries if you're an avid hot dog lover. Major brands, including Butterball, Boar's Head, Hebrew National, Oscar Meyer, Jennie O and Trader Joe's received high marks. Today, hot dogs are usually processed in factories, where meat trimmings, spices, and other ingredients are chopped and blended into an emulsification and routed to automatic stuffers. Meers, W., Hot Dogs Contain Human DNA, Veggie Dogs Contain Meat: Study, The Huffington Post web site, October 28, 2015; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hot-dogs-dna-veggie-dogs-meat_562e45abe4b0ec0a38950dc5. In 2014 Americans spent $2.5 billion on hot dogs, another $2.74 billion on dinner sausages, and over half a billion on breakfast sausages. But thats not all. Samples showed chicken, beef, turkey and lamb were found in products that were not supposed to have those ingredients. Clear Food analyzed 345 hot dogs and sausages from 75 different brands sold at 10retailers and found that 14% had hygienic or substitution issues, according to thereport. October 25, 2015 11:34 PM ET. Pork was found in 3% of samples, mostly in products advertised as chicken- or turkey-only, a discovery that is likely very disturbing to those who avoid pork due to religious reasons. ", "We are unfamiliar with [Clear Food] and have a difficult time determining what to make of their methods or their findings," NHDSC spokesperson Janet Riley told ABC News in a statement today. Ten percent of vegetarian products contained meat. Plant personnel wear clean clothes and gloves, they have sanitary working equipment, and the USDA regularly inspects to ensure that products are made cleanly and safely for consumers.. But the good news from the report (yes, there is some!) Well, it is true that human DNA was found in about 2 percent of hot dogs that were analyzed in one study, TruthOrFiction.com reported. Imagine how many apples could test positive after being handled by half the people shopping in the grocery store, he says. By MORGAN KORN October 27, 2015, 8:50 AM Americans spent $2.4 billion last year on hot dogs and another $2.74 billion on sausages according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. ", Well, what about blood or skin? Researchers found evidence of meat in products that did not list those ingredients on the label, including veggie dogs. "It's always a good idea to make sure that ground meats of any kind are well cooked.". Yes, human DNA! At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case, Report has startling revelations for contents of hot dogs. At least not enough to worry about. If you crunched the numbers, it was admittedly alarming. Researchers highlighted the pork, which was found in beef and turkey hot dogs, as a particularly problematic result, given that some religions forbid the consumption of pork. The article "Is There Really Human DNA in Hot Dogs?" Clear Food study found 14.4 per cent of hot dogs or . Did you buy every apple or orange or potato or avocado that you groped or squeezed to make sure it was fresh? standards and labeling requirements are restrictive, says Milkowski. "What we do know is that any product collected in the marketplace was inspected and passed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Difficult economy and loneliness forces some retirees to move in with family, New drug could slow one type of vision loss, 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at Asbury University revival. Overall, 14.4% of the hotdogs and sausages that were tested were listed as "problematic" because of substituted or unexpected ingredients or hygienic issues. Two-thirdsof the human DNA samples were vegetarian, according to Clear Food. It's not like somebody found a pinkie in a Hebrew National. Its not like somebody found a pinkie in a Hebrew National. Two percent of the samples tested positive for human DNA, and a whopping 66 percent of vegetarian hot dogs contained evidence of such contamination. As in, homo sapiens. 2023 www.jacksonville.com. Major brands including Butterball, Boar's Head, Hebrew National, Oscar Meyer, Jennie O and Trader Joe's all received high marks. The human DNA found in the dogs is largely the result of hair and broken fingernails. Not least, the fact that 10 percent of the vegetarian mock-meat products tested actually contained meat. And we know that the food being served is almost as important as which team is scoring the most points. Remember the first time a friend told you the horrible truth about hot dogs; that theyre actually made from lips and hooves and pigs anus? People who don't eat pork might want to stay away from chicken dogs and sausages, as some of these brands commingled pork products. "In most cases, pork found its way into chicken and turkey sausages," said Clear Food. Hot dogs haven't received much love lately. [2]. The Hot Dog Report, Clear Food web site; http://www.clearfood.com/food_reports/2015/the_hotdog_report, last accessed October 30, 2015. The researchers found that there were issues with more than 14% of the samples analyzed. One study found that wieners, bacon and other processed meats probably contribute to cancer, and now news of this study comes out. Oaklander, M., This Could Cut Your Health Costs by $25,000 a Year, Study Finds, Time web site,October 13, 2015; http://time.com/4071897/stress-relief-healthcare-costs/. We talked to the actual experts in meat science, and got the real story, Is there any food more maligned than the lowly hot dog? Clear Foods, which "uses genomic technology to analyze the world's foods at a molecular level, ingredient by ingredient," released a report recently that it said was designed to look at the accuracy of the content labels of several major hot dog brands. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Clear Foodalso finds "there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity.". THE Organic Non-GMO Cookbook & Shopping Guide (E-Book). It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling, ABC News reported. Human DNA has been found in two per cent of hot dogs and sausages, a major study of popular brands has revealed Tests on 345 samples from different 75 brands also revealed ten per cent of. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. ", "It's entirely possible that the human DNA found could be linked back to the company's own staff," Riley said in a statement on Tuesday. Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in two percent of all hot dog samples. Los Angeles County Bans Use of Roundup Weedkiller, Fat-Shaming Doesnt Work and Can Increase Health Risks, Its a Mindset: In Order to Get Fit, You Must THINK of Yourself as Fit, Mindful Eating Shown to Help People Lose Weight, 90% Of Big Pharma Spent More On Marketing Than Research In 2013 Alone, Search Tells You If, When, and How Much YOUR Doctor Was Paid by Big Pharma, New Study: Coconut Oil Helps Remove Amyloid Plaques from Brains of Alzheimers Patients, As the Zika Virus Spreads, Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Become more Real, Meet the Man Called Crazy by Doctors who Cured his Own Colon Cancer, Acetaminophen may Increase Stroke Risk in People with Diabetes, Exciting: New Seaweed-Based Alzheimers Drug Shows Extreme Promise, Study: Birth Control Pills can Lower Womens Quality of Life, Taco Bell Latest to Admit to Horsemeat in Beef Products, Worlds Largest Bee, Thought to be Extinct, Spotted in Indonesia, Yikes: U.S. NR, on the other hand, can make its way into the cell on its own. A new DNA analysis of hot dogs and sausages in the US has revealed a few harsh realities about everyone's favourite street food. And if this new research is in any way factual, 1.4 of your yearly hot dogs have bits of people in them. Wake up to the day's most important news. Is it true that a study found that some hot dog brands contained human DNA? All of the latest health news that actually matters. Woot! 9 Surprising Foods Packed With Vitamin C. "It could have come from the person doing the analysis in the lab," says Rentfrow. It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling. We may earn a commission through links on our site. Human DNA Found in a Small Sample of Hot Dogs and Sausages by Julie Fidler Posted on October 28, 2015 Updated on October 24, 2021 General Health The next time you squeeze some ketchup onto a ballpark frank at a baseball game, you should know you could be eating porkor you could be eating someone's eyebrows or spit. It could have come from the person doing the analysis in the lab, says Rentfrow. "The U.S. does not allow blood," he says. Do a google search on the topic and you might end up believing that hot dogs contain everything short of snips and snails and puppy dogs tails. Clear Food is the consumer outreach arm of Clear Labs, a B2B food analytics startup based in California. How do they assure there are no false positives? Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National were among the major brands that received top scores from Clear Foods. Agencies Investigating Asbestos in J&J Baby Powder, Insane: Free Drug for Debilitating Disease Leaps to $375k a Year, Barium Everywhere: Tell Congress to Stop Toxic Chemtrail Spraying, Alaska Fishermen Concerned GM Salmon Could Harm $6.4 Billion Fishing Industry. Concession stand worker Janice Towns checks on the hot dogs she is making July 23, 2013, on National Hot Dog Day at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Basically, any food that you havent personally grown or harvested. For example, 10% of all vegetarian samples contained meat; chicken was found in a vegetarian breakfast sausage and pork was found in a vegetarian hot dog. The human DNA isn't . Oh, and she loves to take care of two ridiculously- spoiled cats in her free time. In particular, two percent of the hot dog samples contained human DNA. MORE: 5 Gross Guy Habits That Are Good for You, The study comes from Clear Labsa food analytics startup based in Menlo Park, CA which used "genomic technology" to investigate hot dogs on a molecular level. That may not bother a lot of people, but it means that 3 percent of the sausage and hot dog products tested contained a type of meat that's often excluded for religious reasons. Human DNA was found in 2 percent of the samples, which doesn't mean that there were traces of human meat in the sausages, but simply that there was some kind of contamination, so that could be through a stray hair or skin cells, or potentially even saliva. But the ingredients of hot dogs aren't nearly as ominous as we're often led to believe. The study, conducted by Clear Food, found human DNA in hot dog sausage from 75 different brands, besides also finding that 10 percent of vegetarian sausage have meat in them. 2023 - All Rights Reserved. All of these things can contaminate meat on the production line as its prepared and packaged. Regionally, the top 3 specialty and regional hot dog brands were Gardein, Taverrites and Field to Family Natural Foods. The DNA found in the samples likely came from "hair, skin, finger nail or saliva that was accidentally mixed in during the manufacturing process," according to Clear Food. But hey, customers hardly ever taste the flakes.. What percentage of grocery store fruits and vegetables have a little human DNA on them? Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***. ", (As of this writing, reps at Clear Lab have not responded to requests for comment.). about Take The Gallon Of Water Challenge! Clear Food Labs, a food analytics start-up found that 10% of vegetarian hot . We didnt reach out to any of the major hot dog manufacturers, because obviously they would only deny the studys findings. Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. The hot dog and sausage report was self-funded, according to Clear Food. Well, we did want to find out," Clear Labs Cofounder Mahni Ghorashi told Huffington Post. Basically, any food that you haven't personally grown or harvested. 10 Ways to Control Blood Sugar without Medication, Horton, H., Human DNA found in hot dogs and 10% of vegetarian sausages contain meat,, Meers, W., Hot Dogs Contain Human DNA, Veggie Dogs Contain Meat: Study,, Oaklander, M., This Could Cut Your Health Costs by $25,000 a Year, Study Finds,, Schulte, B., Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, heres how it changes your brain,, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11956947/human-DNA-found-in-hot-dogs-vegetarian-sausages-contain-meat.html, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hot-dogs-dna-veggie-dogs-meat_562e45abe4b0ec0a38950dc5, http://time.com/4071897/stress-relief-healthcare-costs/, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/. Is there any food more maligned than the lowly hot dog? complete list of products Clear Food regards as high quality. They're still, as with most things in life, best in moderation. Clear Food, an independent company that analyzes food at the molecular level, found that 14.4 percent of the hot dogs it tested were "problematic.". "I would imagine if you used the same technology to discover what was on cereal boxes in the grocery store aisle, you might no longer 'trust' what is in other food products as well," Campbell says. ", "Anything that's made from meat byproducts is likely to contain parts that don't pass the 'yuck' test," she added. To be clear, the presence of human DNA does not mean there is human flesh in the hot dogs. That could very well leave skin cells or other DNA sources on equipment, Campbell says. It sometimes seems like it exists not because people enjoy the taste of a frankfurter, but because we just love speculating about all the secret and super-gross "ingredients.". "One thing's certain: questions about the hot dog are as old as the hot dog itself. Hope you enjoyed your lunch, Hannibal Lecter. Clear Labs, a nonprofit group that analyzes food at. Sometimes referred to as mystery meat, hot dogs have often been the target of rumors. But it's definitely disconcerting news for all those who are trying to cut down or avoid eating meat products by buying vegetarian options. Do you really know whats in your food? They also discovered human DNA in two percent of the samples. Copyright2023, BlackDoctor, Inc.All rights reserved. For most of us growing up, it was one of those irresistible rumorslike how some rock songs have satanic messages if you play them backwardsthat aren't true but were endlessly fun to repeat. Likely more than 2%. Were pretty sure there arent any hot dog packages that list people as an ingredient, but 2% of the samples contained trace amounts of human DNA, probably from saliva or hair. Sources for Todays Article: / CBS News. Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. Clear Foods is a company that translates quantifiable molecular tests into actionable food data insights, according to its website. While some of these substitutions, hygienic issues, other variances, or off-label ingredients may be permitted by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], our scientific disclosure allows you, as the consumer, to decide whether the variance or problems meet your personal standard in your buying decision," Clear Food explains. Department Illegally Seizes Privately Owned Bees Resistant to GMO Poison, Breakdown of GMO Labeling Laws in Each Country (Global Map), What Theyre Not Telling You About Monsantos Role in Ukraine, Toxic Weedkiller Dicamba Drift Damages Crops Across America. Biden was treated for basal cell carcinoma. "I have been in numerous plants that make hot dogs and other processed meat products across this country," he told us. But "people" is an ingredient most would expect limited to Soylent Green. How did actual human DNA end up in hotdogs? The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has attempted to reach Clear Food multiple times for further explanation on the report, according to Riley. Probably not, right? The researchers found human DNA in two percent of samples, and 2/3 of those products containing human DNA were vegetarian products. (Supplied: University of Hasanuddin) .css-13y9o4w{display:block;font-family:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-13y9o4w:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.3;}}Men's Health Review: Dymatize Protein Powder, America's 7 Most Inventive Hot Dog Styles, The Best Plant-Based Chicken, Pork, and Seafood, Here's What You Need to Know About Vitamin B12. The study, conducted by food analytics lab Clear Food, analyzed 345 different hot dogs and sausages, including vegetarian versions. The products came from 75. She is also the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. "Any organs or edible by-products must be explicitly labeled in the ingredient line and the product name must have a qualifier 'made with variety meats'. Researchers found issues with 14.4 percent of analyzed samples. Substitution issues are much more problematic. about 7 billion hot dogs will be consumed in the U.S. Occasionally human workers are involved in the process, but theyre wearing so much protective gear youd think they were handling plutonium. What are they going to tell us? While, Before you gulp that daily glass of OJ, check out these 9 other surprising foods packed with vitamin C, an essential nutrient required for the development and maintenance of scar tissue, blood vessels, cartilage and more.