Clear Labs, a nonprofit group that analyzes food at. While some of these substitutions, hygienic issues, other variances, or off-label ingredients may be permitted by the FDA, 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 says in their study. One study found that wieners, bacon and other processed meats probably contribute to cancer, and now news of this study comes out. " Report: Human DNA Found in Hot Dogs " said USA Today, in a typical example. 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. Clear Food does not release the names of the poor-performing products. In effect, almost all U.S. hot dogs are made with just meat.". "DNA testing produces no end of surprises but I seriously doubt that parts of human remains are incorporated into even the cheapest sausages. 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. What is DNA? Video provided by Newsy, and other processed meat can cause colorectal cancer, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. But this is not a "contaminant" but a "non-aesthetic idea of something in our food that the average consumer feels may not be pleasing to them.". Overall, 14.4 percent of the hot dogs and sausages were listed as "problematic" because of substituted or unexpected ingredients or hygienic issues, the media reports stated. Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has attempted to reach Clear Food multiple times for further explanation on the report, according to Riley. First published on October 25, 2015 / 10:20 AM. Clear Food also found other problems with the hot dogs, including mislabeled ingredients, which could raise concern among religious and vegetarian groups. The goal wasn't to freak everyone out about eating hot dogs - let's face it, most of us already assume our sausages contain a few wildcard ingredients - but to give us more scientific information with which to make our dietary decisions. As for specialty picks, the study suggested Taverrite's pork sausages and vegetarian option Gardien. "Theres the old saying, 'You dont want to know how the sausage get made.' Likely more than 2%. The lab does not release the names of poor-performing products it analyzes. But thats not all. Substitution occurs when ingredients are added that do not show up on the label. A report found some evidence of human DNA in a small percentage of tested hot dogs, a study shows. 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. There were also issues with the nutritional content listed . Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in 2 percent of all hot dog samples. If you crunched the numbers, it was admittedly alarming. There were also issues with the nutritional content listed on labels, with the analysis showing that protein content could be exaggerated up to 2.5 times. 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How do they assure there are no false positives?, Milkowski adds: Certainly their information can make some juicy headlines and promote their organization, but I personally do not trust any of it., (As of this writing, reps at Clear Lab have not responded to requests for comment.). "Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling. Only one of the molecules has vitamin statusNR. Woot! It's a theory echoed by Gregg Rentfrow, Ph.D., a professor in Animal and Food Science at the University of Kentucky. Maybe Not, Study Shows, A Broccoli Anti-Aging Enzyme may Hold the Fountain of Youth, Illinois Ag. Clear Food, a subsidiary of food analyzation startup Clear Labs, collected 345 samples of hot dogs and sausages the traditional kind and the veggie variety from 75 different brands at 10 different retailers and found that 14.4% of them were problematic. The samples were considered as such if they contained ingredient substitutions or additions or hygienic issues. But this is not a contaminant but a non-aesthetic idea of something in our food that the average consumer feels may not be pleasing to them.. While it may be the time of year when horror stories are passed around, the researchers believe that what theyre finding traces of isnt from chunks of human flesh, but rather from poor quality control standards that are resulting in human DNA entering the products in the forms of saliva, skin fragments (such as dry skin flakes), hair, and broken fingernails. How do they assure there are no false positives? Substitution issues are much more problematic. 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 good news from the report (yes, there is some!) And for most of the Internet, it was enough reason to go into full-on panic mode. And, yep, 10 percent of them contained meat. As in, homo sapiens. The human DNA found in the dogs is largely the result of hair and broken fingernails. It's not like somebody found a pinkie in a Hebrew National. Major brands including Butterball, Boar's Head, Hebrew National, Oscar Meyer, Jennie O and Trader Joe's all received high marks. 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. People who don't eat pork might want to stay away from chicken dogs and sausages, as some of these brands commingled pork products. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that in this country alone, we consume around 20 billion hot dogs annuallyor 70 hot dogs per person every year. 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. How is anything from the bodies of a hotdog worker getting into the mix? And here's another quandary worth considering. DNA is not on the FDA's list of product defects, so the agency would likely decide what action needs to be taken on a "case-by-case basis" if it confirmed the report's findings. "It is unlikely that human DNA is harmful to consumer health. So what are we missing? A new study has just revealed that hot dogs might, if research is to be believed, have a little human DNA in it. 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. They also discovered human DNA in two percent of the samples. 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. "Skin is not allowed as it has no muscle tissue and thus does not qualify as a muscle trimming. It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. Even with this stigma, hot dogs and sausages are incredibly popular in the U.S. Last year, Americans spent more than $5.0 billion on hot dogs and sausages. In other words, the ingredients on the package didnt always match what was in the samples. This bizarre information came from a single document released on Oct. 17 by the consumer marketing arm of a. MORE: The 26 Hot Dogs Every Man Must Devour. Are Farmers Being Manipulated Into Buying GMO Soybean Seeds? "U.S. standards and labeling requirements are restrictive," says Milkowski. The researchers found that there were issues with more than 14% of the samples analyzed. Probably not, right? But if its vegetarian products youre looking for, your best bet is to make a trip to Trader Joes. Unless you also want to give up eating fruits and vegetables. Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. That's right, human DNA. Altogether, 75 different hot dog brands from 10 different retailers were studied. They're still, as with most things in life, best in moderation. 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.". The report comes amid unrelated research released by theWorld Health Organization on Monday that finds eating hot dogs, ham and other processed meat can cause colorectal cancer. "We found chicken in a vegetarian breakfast sausage and pork in a vegetarian hot dog," the report explains. The researchers found human DNA in two percent of samples, and 2/3 of those products containing human DNA were vegetarian products. And, yep, 10 percent of them contained meat. "Imagine how many apples could test positive after being handled by half the people shopping in the grocery store," he says. Andrew L. Milkowski, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, says he's "suspicious about the quality of (Clear Lab's) information. Clear Foodalso finds "there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity.". The human DNA found in the dogs is largely the result of hair and broken fingernails. Clear Labs, a nonprofit group that analyzes food at the molecular level, looked at 345 hot dog and sausage samples marketed under 75 different brands and sold at 10 different retailers. originally ran on MensHealth.com. 2023 - All Rights Reserved. But the ingredients of hot dogs arent nearly as ominous as were often led to believe. about Take The Gallon Of Water Challenge! In particular, two percent of the hot dog samples contained human DNA. Yes, the ONE thing that they are NOT supposed to have in it. A new DNA analysis of hot dogs and sausages in the US has revealed a few harsh realities about everyone's favourite street food. Occasionally human workers are involved in the process, but theyre wearing so much protective gear youd think they were handling plutonium. Hot dogs have never been seen as prime cuts of meat, but a new study has found human DNA in some samples. (Supplied: University of Hasanuddin) The good news: As bad as some brands were found to be, there are some . Gardein was the top specialty or regional brand. Part of HuffPost News. How is anything from the bodies of a hotdog worker getting into the mix? A new report, however, adds extra meaning to the phrase "you don't want to know how the sausage gets made.". Remember the first time a friend told you the horrible truth about hot dogs; that they're actually made from lips and hooves and pig's anus? They analyzed 345 hot dogs from 75 brands, and found human DNA in 2% of the samples, and in 2/3rds of the vegetarian samples.. The article "Is There Really Human DNA in Hot Dogs?" The stuffers pump the emulsified hot dog mixture into casings. Now thatsahygienic issue. If you can stomach it, take a look at this video demonstrating how hot dogs are made. It could have come from the person doing the analysis in the lab, says Rentfrow. According to "The Hot Dog Report" put out by Clea. Do they have appropriate laboratory quality procedures with both positive and negative reference sample controls in their analyses? Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Heres another analysis that will either put everything in perspective or send you into a spiral of food paranoia. But it's there. BDO is the worlds largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. We didnt reach out to any of the major hot dog manufacturers, because obviously they would only deny the studys findings. 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. In general, we consider human DNA a hygienic issue that degrades the quality of food more than a public health concern," Sasan Amini, also a Clear Labs cofounder, told HuffPost. If you can stomach it, take a look at this video demonstrating how hot dogs are made. Overall, 14.4% of the hotdogs and sausages that were tested were listed as "problematic" because of substituted or unexpected ingredients or hygienic issues. And Gardein topped the specialty and regional hot dog list. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Here's another analysis that will either put everything in perspective or send you into a spiral of food paranoia. It would appear that modern hot dogs are made almost entirely by scary-looking machines. Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of, Kale is the newest craze in the health world. October 25, 2015 11:34 PM ET. ", MORE: The 10 Dirtiest Foods You're Eating, Even if they never actually touch the hot dogs, they are touching the processing equipment, to clean and sanitize it. Apparently not too many of us do. Initial attempts by USA TODAY Network to. Human DNA. But hey, customers hardly ever taste the flakes.". Developed By, Antibiotics Could be to Blame for Skyrocketing Mental Illness Rates. Julie Fidler has written hundreds of articles on key world topics such as health, drugs, and law. Theres a concept thatll haunt you if you think about it too much. Do you really know whats in your food? Remember the last time you were in the produce section of a grocery store? Credit: Marek Janta. Getty Images Hot dog ingredients have long been a source of controversy. Two percent of the samples tested positive for human DNA, and a whopping 66 percent of vegetarian hot dogs contained evidence of such contamination. 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. Just try to think a bit more about DNA testing while you're doing so. Oh, and she loves to take care of two ridiculously- spoiled cats in her free time. Clear Food says the best retailers for hot dogs and sausage products are Target, Walmart and Safeway, and the top brands (in order) are Butterball, McCormick, Ekrich, and Hebrew National, all of which received a Clear Score of 96. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. 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. Did you buy every apple or orange or potato or avocado that you groped or squeezed to make sure it was fresh? What is it? But lets say, just for the sake of argument, that Clear Labs research methods and results can be trusted. In response to The Hot Dog Report's findings, Janet Riley, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council stated that Clear Food "has said very little about its sample collection procedure . NR is a form of vitamin B3. Skin is not allowed as it has no muscle tissue and thus does not qualify as a muscle trimming. It's sometimes referred to as the queen of greens because its nutritional value is just about unmatched. With all of the green vegetable options out there, here are a few reasons, Need an easy, inexpensive and dare I say FUN way to drink more water? Initial attempts by USA TODAY Network to reach out to the company independently have proved unsuccessful. Two-thirdsof the human DNA samples were vegetarian, according to Clear Food. Still, it's always nice to use a little science when making your shopping decisions, so go forth and gorge yourself on hot dogs. Additionally, 10% of vegetarian hot dogs sold today contain traces of meat. And we know that the food being served is almost as important as which team is scoring the most points. Clear Food reported that it found human DNA in six of the 345 samples, or 2 percent of all samples tested. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that in this country alone, we consume around 20 billion hot dogs annuallyor 70 hot dogs per person every year. Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***. A spokesperson for Clear Food said that human DNA "degrades the quality of food" but is less of a public health concern. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, a trade group that represents hog dog and sausage manufacturers, called the report a "publicity stunt. 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. But the ingredients of hot dogs aren't nearly as ominous as we're often led to believe. .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. Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. ", (As of this writing, reps at Clear Lab have not responded to requests for comment.). 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. THE Organic Non-GMO Cookbook & Shopping Guide (E-Book). The hot dog and sausage report was self-funded, according to Clear Food. Processed meat causes cancer, red meat could too, says WHO, According to a report from a research division of WHO, processed meats cause cancer, and red meat likely does, too. Sources for Todays Article: We may earn a commission through links on our site. So NR seems to have a more efficient path to NAD+ generation. America's 120-year-old love affair with hot dogs extends from ballparks to backyards to the White House. Schulte, B., Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, heres how it changes your brain, The Washington Post web site, May 26, 2015; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/. Samples showed chicken, beef, turkey and lamb were found in products that were not supposed to have those ingredients. Human DNA. Related: Hot Dogs and Processed Meats as Bad as Cigarettes? But pig anus may seem like a more appetizing option when compared with the latest hot dog accusation. But there were plenty of impartial meat academics happy to weigh in. Sixty-seven percent of hygienic problems found in the report were from vegetarian products. Overall, the company found nutritional label inaccuracies, pork substitution and some unexpected ingredients, including chicken and lamb in its hot dogs. 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.". That human DNA the Fresh Lab scientists found on the hotdogs they tested? In light of the news that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has, Pork substitution was an issue in products across the price spectrum being sold at a wide variety of retailers. This publicity stunt changes nothing about the fundamental safety of Americas carefully regulated and inspected hot dogs.. Hope you enjoyed your lunch, Hannibal Lecter. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods. 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. The Hot Dog Report, Clear Food web site; http://www.clearfood.com/food_reports/2015/the_hotdog_report, last accessed October 30, 2015. 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. A company that uses genomic analysis technology to get information on the contents of food has . For the record, no, hot dogs dont contain anus. 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. Does anyone leave a hotdog plant without taking a Silkwood shower? 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. The study, conducted by food analytics lab Clear Food, analyzed 345 different hot dogs and sausages, including vegetarian versions. Veggie dogs were the worst off, accounting for 67 percent of the hygiene issues and two-thirds of the human DNA found. "It could have come from the person doing the analysis in the lab," says Rentfrow. Vegetarian hot dog products surprisingly fared the worst in this regard, with four out of the 21 products tested containing human DNA. Vegetarian hot dogs were also found to contain traces of meat, suggesting that they may not be as meat-free as advertised. It sounds horrifying. The genomic analysis involved 345 different hot dog or sausage products from 75 brands, purchased at 10 different retailers in the US. Sign Up for the Latest Health News and Tips, Home - Most Popular News Human DNA Found in Hot Dogs. Related: The 26 Hot Dogs Every Man Must Devour. Researchers for Clear Labs, a company that sets standards for food quality, looked at 345 samples of hot dogs and sausages from 75 brands and 10 retailers, assigning each brand a score up to 100 for the highest quality products. But a word of warning - the scientists only looked at one sample of each product, so it's hard to get a clear picture from that limited information about the overall safety and accuracy of an entire product line or brand. Imagine how many apples could test positive after being handled by half the people shopping in the grocery store, he says.