The Truth About Hot Dogs: What's Really Inside?

Over the years, various rumors have circulated about what's inside a hot dog – some claimed it contained feathers, claws, and other undesirable chicken parts, all ground into one chunky mix. So, is there any truth to these stories?

In reality, there isn't. For the past century, the meat industry has been heavily regulated, and just anything can't be tossed into meat products, especially in kosher factories, so there's no need for concern.

However, it is known that hot dogs are made from the less appealing parts of the meat industry, like tendons, cut fat, and other parts you wouldn't typically eat as they are. In simpler terms, if you were to see how hot dogs are made, it would need to come with a warning: "Not for the faint of stomach".

All the non-usable parts of the meat industry are cooked well and passed through a fine sieve. Water, sugar syrup, ascorbic acid, and spices are added to the resulting mixture. Then, it is extruded into a casing and cooked once more.

What's So Bad About Hot Dogs?

Now that we know feathers and claws aren't in the hot dogs we eat, but instead, there are other components not typically considered edible, crafted into a mixture sold in stores – pay attention to the alarming data:

According to a study published in the journal BMC Medicine, around 450,000 individuals aged 35-69 without any prior health issues participated. The researchers followed them for nearly 13 years, and over 26,000 participants died during the study period.

The researchers found that participants who consumed more than 40 grams of processed meat increased their risk of illness compared to those who ate only 10-20 grams per day on average.

Furthermore, hot dogs are often consumed with harmful sides like ketchup and high-fat dips.

According to additional studies, the ingredients and production processes of hot dogs may speed up cancer development. For example, results from an International Agency for Research on Cancer study showed that eating one hot dog a day (around 50 grams of processed meat) increases the risk of colon cancer by 18%, childhood leukemia by 950%, and other diseases.

Moreover, in a study involving 37,000 men aged 45-79 with no heart problems, it found that eating one and a half hot dogs a day (around 75 grams of processed meat) doubled the risk of heart issues. Additionally, hot dogs contain high levels of saturated and trans fats, which can lead to heart and vascular diseases.

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Did you know hot dogs can be as dangerous as cigarettes?