Hot dog warning: Know the risks before you eat

Although some people turn up their noses at hot dogs, these sausages still rank high on the list of breakfast classics. Most of us know paying attention to their ingredients is essential, but preparing them properly still seems a bit problematic.

Let’s start by saying that a hot dog is definitely not created equal. On store shelves, you can find both high-quality products made from meat and spices and those filled with chemicals, glucose, and preservatives that have hardly been near any real meat. Although the market has responded to consumer interest in better-quality products, it's still worth checking the ingredients before putting hot dogs in your cart.

Firstly, good-quality hot dogs should not be too cheap. Unfortunately, a low price often means poor quality. The most important thing, of course, is the ingredients list. They should contain as much meat as possible, at least 90 percent. If the list includes MSM (mechanically separated meat), preservatives, and artificial flavor enhancers, it's better to leave those hot dogs in the store. The shorter the ingredients list, the better, tastier, and healthier.

Although finding hot dogs with a good ingredient list isn't very challenging and can be found in almost all chain stores, it’s still worth remembering that this is a heavily processed product and should be considered recreational rather than a regular part of the diet.

With hot dogs chosen and waiting in the fridge, it’s time to prepare them properly. Since they are already processed, it may seem sufficient to simply remove them from the packaging, remove any casing, and eat them. In the daily rush, not everyone wants to cook them in a pot.

However, it turns out this is not the best solution. Dietitians warn against eating hot dogs raw.

Better not do it. The FDA, or the United States Food and Drug Administration, advises against eating hot dogs without prior heating. Hot dogs can be contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which causes a disease called listeriosis, explains clinical dietitian Anna Jedrej.

The dietitian also emphasizes that she does not encourage their consumption. The comments section has sparked a debate. Some pointed out to the dietitian that referring to American standards does not quite relate to European food regulations.

I don't recommend eating hot dogs to anyone😝 However, Listeria contamination of hot dogs is not uncommon in PL. I found several GIS notices about batch recalls. And these are just random inspections, so the scale of the phenomenon could be much larger, emphasized the dietitian.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that individuals within the high-risk group for contracting listeriosis heat hot dogs before consumption, even if they are fully cooked.

Listeria monocytogenes naturally occurs in the environment, including in soil and water. It can also be found in animals' gastrointestinal tracts. It contaminates meat products like hot dogs, minced meats, or sausages. People with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, newborns, and the elderly are more susceptible to listeriosis. For them, the disease can take a more severe course and even lead to sepsis and meningitis.