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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. And if this new research is in any way factual, 1.4 of your yearly hot dogs have bits of people in them. Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. -- The food that's a staple of American cookouts is getting some scrutiny for some unexpected ingredients. Occasionally human workers are involved in the process, but they're wearing so much protective gear you'd think they were handling plutonium. 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. Maybe youve seen The Water Challenge floating around on social media. It happens. What makes us human? 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 someones eyebrows or spit. How did actual human DNA end up in hotdogs? "I have been in numerous plants that make hot dogs and other processed meat products across this country," he told us. "Skin is not allowed as it has no muscle tissue and thus does not qualify as a muscle trimming. Two-thirds of that human DNA was found in vegetarian hot dogs, according to the study. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans spent $2.4 billion last year on hot dogs and another $2.74 billion on sausages. Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. 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. 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. Scientists have sequenced the oldest Homo sapiens DNA on record, showing that many of Europe's first . People who don't eat pork might want to stay away from chicken dogs and sausages, as some of these brands commingled pork products. 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. "It could have come from the person doing the analysis in the lab," says Rentfrow. 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.). Around 3% of hot dogs and sausages analyzed contained pork where it wasn't listed, ten percent of vegetarian dogs included animal DNA, and most shocking of all 2% of samples contained. So NR seems to have a more efficient path to NAD+ generation. If you crunched the numbers, it was admittedly alarming. However, areport uncoveredsome startling findingson what peopleare really eating when theybite into a frankfurter. Human DNA. In effect, almost all U.S. hot dogs are made with just meat.". The online food guide, which uses "genomic technology" to examine foods by ingredients, foundhuman DNA in 2% of the samples. Major brands including Butterball, Boar's Head, Hebrew National, Oscar Meyer, Jennie O and Trader Joe's all received high marks. "Yes, humans work at meat processing establishments," he says. Molecular biologists at Clear Labs then extracted the DNA from samples of these products and matched them to the genetic code of different animals. Hot dog sausages contain human DNA, study says, and many vegetarian ones contain meat Another problem is that 4.3 per cent of burgers contained pathogenic DNA, which can cause food. U.S. But the ingredients of hot dogs arent nearly as ominous as were often led to believe. So what does this mean to you? There were also issues with the nutritional content listed . In effect, almost all U.S. hot dogs are made with just meat.. Scientists may have tracked down the small percentage of DNA that might give modern humans the qualities unique to the species. Vegetarian hot dog products surprisingly fared the worst in this regard, with four out of the 21 products tested containing human DNA. Human DNA in samples "is a sign of lots of touching with human hands," she told ABC News. 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. It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling. They analyzed 345 hot dogs. DNA is not a food safety hazard, says Jonathan A. Campbell, Ph.D., a Meat Specialist and Assistant Professor at Penn State University. 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. All rights reserved. about Take The Gallon Of Water Challenge! Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. How do they assure there are no false positives? Altogether, 75 different hot dog brands from 10 different retailers were studied. How did actual human DNA end up in hotdogs? Sources for Todays Article: Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in two percent of all hot dog samples. How is anything from the bodies of a hotdog worker getting into the mix? As for specialty picks, the study suggested Taverrite's pork sausages and vegetarian option Gardien. And most of our top guys have seriously dry skin. It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. Credit: Marek Janta. Unless you also want to give up eating fruits and vegetables. But it's definitely disconcerting news for all those who are trying to cut down or avoid eating meat products by buying vegetarian options. ", Milkowski adds: "Certainly their information can make some juicy headlines and promote their organization, but I personally do not trust any of it. Julie Fidler has written hundreds of articles on key world topics such as health, drugs, and law. "In most cases, pork found its way into chicken and turkey sausages," said Clear Food. 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. Despite some of the shocking findings, Clear Foods reports "there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity.". Did you buy every apple or orange or potato or avocado that you groped or squeezed to make sure it was fresh? 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. 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. This information is coming from a study by a fairly new organization thats using Kickstarter to fund much of its research. So what are we missing? After the WHO went public with their findings on the effects of red meat and cancer, there's more troubling news from the meat industry. Two-thirds of that human DNA was found in vegetarian hot dogs. Getty Images Farmer Reports: GMOs Causing Deformities, Birth Defects in Piglets, GMO Corn and Herbicide Found in 100% of Frito-Lay SunChips Samples, Dangerous Ingredients: 54% of Food Sold at Walmart is Banned by Whole Foods Market, EWG Report: Your Tap Water is Contaminated with Toxic Forever Chemicals, Is Non-Toxic Nail Polish Really Non-Toxic? Clear Food Labs, a food analytics start-up found that 10% of vegetarian hot . So what does this mean to you? Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. 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? Major brands, including Butterball, Boar's Head, Hebrew National, Oscar Meyer, Jennie O and Trader Joe's received high marks. 9 Surprising Foods Packed With Vitamin C. 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. 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. A food with a substitution issue has an unexpected ingredient that is not listed on the label. It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling, ABC News reported. That's right, human DNA. Found ten per cent of vegetarian hot dogs and sausages contained meat. It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. THE Organic Non-GMO Cookbook & Shopping Guide (E-Book). Do they have appropriate laboratory quality procedures with both positive and negative reference sample controls in their analyses? Sixty-seven percent of hygienic problems found in the report were from vegetarian products. "DNA testing produces no end of surprises but I seriously doubt that parts of human remains are incorporated into even the cheapest sausages. According to a study from Clear Labs, an independent food analytics startup, 10 percent of vegetarian hot dog products contain meat. Yes, humans work at meat processing establishments, he says. Is that even possible? A spokesperson for Clear Food said that human DNA "degrades the quality of food" but is less of a public health concern. Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods. According to the data collected by Clear Foods it has been found that out of 345 hot dogs and sausages being analysed, two percent has traces of human DNA. Well, we did want to find out," Clear Labs Cofounder Mahni Ghorashi told Huffington Post. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has attempted to reach Clear Food multiple times for further explanation on the report, according to Riley. For the record, no, hot dogs dont contain anus. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA . Remember the last time you were in the produce section of a grocery store? One study found that wieners, bacon and other processed meats probably contribute to cancer, and now news of this study comes out. February 12 is the 2023 Super Bowl LVII, and what better way to celebrate this annual sporting event than by enjoying the deliciousness of a chip and dip combo with some family and friends? Oh, and she loves to take care of two ridiculously- spoiled cats in her free time. This content is imported from youTube. 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. Nobody knows what's in a hot dog. 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? For the record, no, hot dogs don't contain anus. Ten percent of vegetarian products contained meat. Likely more than 2%. 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. Related: .css-16acfp5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.125rem;text-decoration-color:#d2232e;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-16acfp5:hover{color:#000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;background-color:yellow;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}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. " Report: Human DNA Found in Hot Dogs " said USA Today, in a typical example. A new study has just revealed that hot dogs might, if research is to be believed, have a little human DNA in it. Even more disturbing, 66 percent of those cases were found in vegetarian-labeled products. Hope you enjoyed your lunch, Hannibal Lecter. Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National received the top scores for quality hot dogs among major brands. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. And despite the genomic tests being done in California crowd-sourced labs, they probably don't have any people parts. What percentage of grocery store fruits and vegetables have a little human DNA on them? Hot dogs have always had a reputation for containing God-knows-what, but recent DNA testing on wieners revealed the presence of human DNA in small sample of the franks. Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in 2 percent of all hot dog samples. Hot dogs have never been seen as prime cuts of meat, but a new study has found human DNA in some samples. The human DNA found in the dogs is largely the result of hair and broken fingernails. 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.. 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. All that really means is that Clear uses genetic sequencing to figure out just whats in your lunch. 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. Wake up to the day's most important news. The study suggests that those looking for a DNA-free dog should head to Target, Safeway and Walmart, the study reports. Researchers found evidence of meat in products that did not list those ingredients on the label, including veggie dogs. However, Janet Riley, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, said Clear Food "has said very little about its sample collection procedure. Gardein was the top specialty or regional brand. ", "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. What is 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. And we know that the food being served is almost as important as which team is scoring the most points. Researchers analyzed 345 hot dogs and sausages from 75 different brands sold at 10 retailers, and found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples . First of all, let's all take a deep breath. While researchers from Clear Food state that human DNA is unlikely to pose any health threats, they believe the information should be made available to the public and that people should be able to decide for themselves whether they are comfortable eating hot dogs given these findings. Apparently not too many of us do. The company found hygiene issues in four of its 21 vegetarian samples. .css-1pm21f6{display:block;font-family:AvantGarde,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1pm21f6:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.3;}}The Absolute Best Crackers for Healthy Snacking, 18 Healthy Snacks That Actually Keep You Full, 15 Surprising Health Benefits of Chia Seeds, Tasty High-Protein Snacks to Keep You Fueled, The 15 Best Protein Powders for Smoothie Making, The Healthiest Fast Food Menu Items at Chains, 37 Calcium-Rich Foods That Aren't a Glass of Milk. And, yep, 10 percent of them contained meat. And for most of the Internet, it was enough reason to go into full-on panic mode. Or lips. Related: The 26 Hot Dogs Every Man Must Devour. "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. 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. Unless you follow Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Human DNA is the last thing you could expect in your food. This publicity stunt changes nothing about the fundamental safety of Americas carefully regulated and inspected hot dogs.. It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. (Supplied: University of Hasanuddin) Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National were among the major brands that received top scores from Clear Foods. 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. Regionally, the top 3 specialty and regional hot dog brands were Gardein, Taverrites and Field to Family Natural Foods. Sign Up for the Latest Health News and Tips, Home - Most Popular News Human DNA Found in Hot Dogs. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. 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. Developed By, Antibiotics Could be to Blame for Skyrocketing Mental Illness Rates. 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And so does most food that was processed, cooked, boxed, or placed on a supermarket shelf by another human being. After analyzing hot dogs from 75 different brands, Clear Foods discovered human DNA in 2% of the samples studied. It's a theory echoed by Gregg Rentfrow, Ph.D., a professor in Animal and Food Science at the University of Kentucky. It did not . Americans eat 20 billion hot dogs and 14 billion servings of sausages each year, according to the council. "We found chicken in a vegetarian breakfast sausage and pork in a vegetarian hot dog," the report explains. "Likewise, when they suggest that some products showed the presence of another species, like chicken in a beef product, this could also be from a single cell and even result from very practice of pulling samples from multiple packages in the same room as the company may have done.". Is that even possible? In other words, yes, your hot dogs are going to have a little human DNA on them. Hot dogs, bacon, processed meats linked to cancer. Researchers found issues with 14.4 percent of analyzed samples. complete list of products Clear Food regards as high quality. Additionally, 10% of vegetarian hot dogs sold today contain traces of meat. What they found was that 14.4 percent of the items tested were problematic in some way, either as a result of contamination - which means that a non-harmful contaminant was found, most often human DNA - or substitution, which is where another food ingredient that's not on the label has been added. 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. Some minor adjustments to your diet might be exactly what you need. What is DNA? If you're a hot dog lover, you may have beef with a study that finds certain varieties of hot dogs contain human DNA. What is a Detox Bath and How do You take One? Pork substitution was an issue in products across the price spectrum being sold at a wide variety of retailers.". 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 .