Hot Dogs?

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"Nitrate-Free" Hot Dogs, Now With More Nitrates

Cooking with Kids: "Nitrate-Free" Hot Dogs, Now With More Nitrates

Posted by Matthew Amster-Burton, January 7, 2008 at 2:00 PM
At a recent playdate, the subject of hot dogs came up, and I heard one mom say that, okay, she does let her child eat hot dogs, but only the "nitrate-free" kind from Whole Foods. I didn't say anything, but the portion of my brain devoted to ruthless debunkings lit up.

Last year, you'll recall, Ed Levine took Consumer Reports to task for naming Hebrew National skinless franks the top dog. I'm with Ed: franks with natural casings are better. (You can read the CR report at Consumer Reports.)
But there was this tasty tidbit in the report:
While the three uncured franks might boast of "no added nitrates," our testing found that Applegate Farms, Coleman Natural, and Whole Ranch contained nitrates and nitrites at levels comparable to many of the cured models.
That's because "no added nitrates" is—how to put this gently?—a lie. The manufacturers add celery juice, which is naturally high in nitrites. In answer to your next question, yes, the nitrites naturally occurring in celery juice are exactly the same as the pure sodium nitrite added by sausage makers. (Note that I am fudging the difference between nitrates and nitrites, but as Consumer Reports said, they tested the levels of both compounds.)

In any case, here is my public service announcement to parents: "nitrate-free" hot dogs do contain nitrates and are not nutritionally superior to any other hot dogs. Some of them are tasty, but they are not generally available with natural casings, which are to my mind essential to a great hot dog.

Don't want to serve your kids hot dogs? Fine with me. But if you are serving franks, choose based on taste. We buy Boar's Head all-beef with natural casings, and my four-year-old loves them. Though it's not like she'd turn down any hot dog.
 
neoprodigy;1433950; said:
We buy Boar's Head all-beef with natural casings, and my four-year-old loves them. Though it's not like she'd turn down any hot dog.

:iagree: Probably best hot dog if you are going to boil them:naughty: But what about a Hebrew National on the Foreman Grill!!!

I grew up in NY where boar's head was readily available at the local deli. When I moved to Bmore I realised that other hot dogs are terrible....The Heb's are still a great option, but nothing beats a Boar's head boiled w/sauerkraut..:drool:
 
I feed my fish hotdogs all the time. 1 feed 1 pack of hotdogs spread out during the week. Most of the food they get is Trout Pellets though.

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The TRUST;1442045;1442045 said:
I feed my fish hotdogs all the time. 1 feed 1 pack of hotdogs spread out during the week. Most of the food they get is Trout Pellets though.

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NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 frank (56 g)
Servings Per Container: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 140
Calories from Fat 100

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat

Trans Fat 0
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 560mg 23%
Total Carbs 1g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars < 1g Protein 7gNA
Vitamin A
Calcium 8%
Vitamin C
Iron 4%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet.
 
You guys find one link to support some wacky claims, then it becomes reality. Is there any real scientific studies that actually link sodium nitrite with cancer? Something from a research institute or government agency?

Any site or paper that talks about research then bases a whole paper on the mentioned research but doesn't provide citations to that research are pure bunk.
 
I feed about 200 pounds of hotdogs a year to my big fish, the Pacu, primarily a vegetarian love them. Over the past 9 years hotdogs have represented about 10% of the fish’s diet, the remainder is trout food sold in 50 # bags and more recently smelt. I feed the Chicken Turkey variety as the beef type leaves a grease ring on the aquarium glass. Yes, hotdogs are Nitrate laden and yes Nitrates (NO3), are a problem for me. At present, I change about 800 to 1,000 gallons of aquarium water per day, which keeps the Nitrates in the 100 PPM range. I would like to keep the Nitrates under 50 PPM but with more than 35 Pacu and 50 other assorted monsters, it is not possible.

Anyone in Western Washington State want a 36”, 50-pound Pacu?

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neoprodigy;1432464; said:
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Hot Dogs and Nitrites



Hot Dogs and Nitrites
  • Childhood Cancer Risk
Q. What's wrong with hot dogs?

A. Nitrite additives in hotdogs form carcinogens.
Petition to ban nitrites Three different studies have come out in the past year, finding that the consumption of hot dogs can be a risk factor for childhood cancer.
Peters et al. studied the relationship between the intake of certain foods and the risk of leukemia in children from birth to age 10 in Los Angeles County between 1980 and 1987. The study found that children eating more than 12 hot dogs per month have nine times the normal risk of developing childhood leukemia. A strong risk for childhood leukemia also existed for those children whose fathers' intake of hot dogs was 12 or more per month.
Researchers Sarusua and Savitz studied childhood cancer cases in Denver and found that children born to mothers who consumed hot dogs one or more times per week during pregnancy has approximately double the risk of developing brain tumors. Children who ate hot dogs one or more times per week were also at higher risk of brain cancer.
Bunin et al, also found that maternal consumption of hot dogs during pregnancy was associated with an excess risk of childhood brain tumors.
Q. How could hot dogs cause cancer?

A. Hot dogs contain nitrites which are used as preservatives, primarily to combat botulism. During the cooking process, nitrites combine with amines naturally present in meat to form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. It is also suspected that nitrites can combine with amines in the human stomach to form N-nitroso compounds. These compounds are known carcinogens and have been associated with cancer of the oral cavity, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach and brain.
Q. Some vegetables contain nitrites, do they cause cancer too?

A. It is true that nitrites are commonly found in many green vegetables, especially spinach, celery and green lettuce. However, the consumption of vegetables appears to be effective in reducing the risk of cancer. How is this possible? The explanation lies in the formation of N-nitroso compounds from nitrites and amines. Nitrite containing vegetables also have Vitamin C and D, which serve to inhibit the formation of N-nitroso compounds. Consequently, vegetables are quite safe and healthy, and serve to reduce your cancer risk.

Q. Do other food products contain nitrites?


A. Yes, all cured meats contain nitrites. These include bacon and fish.

Q. Are all hot dogs a risk for childhood cancer?

A. No. Not all hot dogs on the market contain nitrites. Because of modern refrigeration methods, nitrites are now used more for the red color they produce (which is associated with freshness) than for preservation. Nitrite-free hot dogs, while they taste the same as nitrite hot dogs, have a brownish color that has limited their popularity among consumers. When cooked, nitrite-free hot dogs are perfectly safe and healthy.

HERE ARE FOUR THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO:
  1. Do not buy hot dogs containing nitrite. It is especially important that children and potential parents do not consume 12 or more of these hot dogs per month.
  2. Request that your supermarket have nitrite-free hot dogs available.
  3. Contact your local school board and find out whether children are being served nitrite hot dogs in the cafeteria, Request that they use only nitrite-free hot dogs.
  4. Write the FDA and express your concern that nitrite-hot dogs are not labeled for their cancer risk to children. You can mention CPC's petition on hot dogs, docket #: 95P 0112/CP1.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cancer Prevention Coalition
c/o School of Public Health, M/C 922
University of Illinois at Chicago
2121 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612
Tel: (312) 996-2297, Fax: (312) 413-9898
Email: epstein@uic.edu
References:
1, Peters J, et al " Processed meats and risk of childhood leukemia (California, USA)" Cancer Causes & Control 5: 195-202, 1994.

2 Sarasua S, Savitz D. " Cured and broiled meat consumption in relation to childhood cancer: Denver, Colorado (United States)," Cancer Causes & Control 5:141-8, 1994.


Sure is food for thought. The book, "China Study" has radically changed some people's lives after reading it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1932100660/ref=sib_dp_pt/002-9652476-5246462#reader-link
 
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