But why bother with store-bought snacks when you can make healthier homemade versions, Calling All Dippers and Chippers! Sources for Todays Article: Pork substitution was an issue in products across the price spectrum being sold at a wide variety of retailers.". 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. Likely more than 2%. 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. It sounds horrifying. 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. And so does most food that was processed, cooked, boxed, or placed on a supermarket shelf by another human being. Eric Spitznagel is a frequent contributor to magazines like Playboy, Esquire, and the New York Times, and was employed for over two decades by the Second City comedy theater, where Stephen Colbert was his Secret Santa _twice. In particular, two percent of the hot dog samples contained human DNA. ", Well, what about blood or skin? In most cases, a lot of humans are employed in the meat industry, and their DNA is throughout the building., Related: 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. But the good news from the report (yes, there is some!) It did not. Here's another analysis that will either put everything in perspective or send you into a spiral of food paranoia. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. In addition to the human DNA, 67% of the hygienic issues detected in the samples were caused by vegetarian products. Ten products tested contained chicken that weren't meant to, four contained beef, three contained turkey, two contained lamb and, worryingly, nine contained pork. The human DNA found in the dogs is largely the result of hair and broken fingernails. "Theres the old saying, 'You dont want to know how the sausage get made.' In products not supposed to contain them, 10 contained tracesof chicken meat, 9 pork, 4 beef, 3 turkey and 2 lamb. Unless you also want to give up eating fruits and vegetables. They classified the types of issues as either substitution and hygienic. But it's there. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistakenly listed the Taverrite's brand as vegetarian. 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.". People who don't eat pork might want to stay away from chicken dogs and sausages, as some of these brands commingled pork products. Is it true that a study found that some hot dog brands contained human DNA? Heres another analysis that will either put everything in perspective or send you into a spiral of food paranoia. Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. What You Should Know: The study also concludes that 10 percent of veggie dog brands tested contained meat. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. 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. Beef, chicken, pork, and lamb were all found as unlisted ingredients. A new DNA analysis of hot dogs and sausages in the US has revealed a few harsh realities about everyone's favourite street food. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. They're still, as with most things in life, best in moderation. Vegetarian hot dog products surprisingly fared the worst in this regard, with four out of the 21 products tested containing human DNA. "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.". about Take The Gallon Of Water Challenge! NR is a form of vitamin B3. It could have come from the person doing the analysis in the lab, says Rentfrow. 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. 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. Interestingly, two-thirds of the samples with human DNA were from vegetarian hot dogs, indicating that the meat-free options had more hygiene issues than the regular sausages. Hygienic issues occur when some sort of non-harmful contaminant is introduced to the hot dog, in most cases, human DNA, said Clear Food in theirstudy. Sometimes referred to as mystery meat, hot dogs have often been the target of rumors. Hot dogs have never been seen as prime cuts of meat, but a new study has found human DNA in some samples. Still, it's always nice to use a little science when making your shopping decisions, so go forth and gorge yourself on hot dogs. Did you buy every apple or orange or potato or avocado that you groped or squeezed to make sure it was fresh? Flashback: Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury, 3 Simple, Natural Ways for Detoxing Your Body, The Herbal Remedy to Kick the Smoking Habit & Repair the Lungs. "Yes, humans work at meat processing establishments," he says. 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. ", "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. "In most cases, a lot of humans are employed in the meat industry, and their DNA is throughout the building. We talked to actual experts in meat science, and got the real story. And for most of the Internet, it was enough reason to go into full-on panic mode. But if its vegetarian products youre looking for, your best bet is to make a trip to Trader Joes. Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National were among the major brands that received top scores from Clear Foods. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. And, yep, 10 percent of them contained meat. The first human DNA gleaned from cave dirt came from Denisova Cave in Siberia in 2017. complete list of products Clear Food regards as high quality. "Imagine how many apples could test positive after being handled by half the people shopping in the grocery store," he says. At least not enough to worry about. The study indicates that many people could be eating pork without realizing it, although kosher hot dogs were found to be safe. How do they assure there are no false positives? Even more disturbing, 66 percent of those cases were found in vegetarian-labeled products. "It is unlikely that human DNA is harmful to consumer health. The researchers found human DNA in two percent of samples, and 2/3 of those products containing human DNA were vegetarian products. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. ", officially listed processed meats such as bacon and sausages as cancer-causing, Huge New Study Shows Why Exercise Should Be The First Choice in Treating Depression, A World-First Discovery Hints at The Sounds Non-Avian Dinosaurs Made, For The First Time Ever, Physicists See Molecules Form Through Quantum Tunneling. So what are we missing? Credit: Marek Janta. 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. A new study has just revealed that hot dogs might, if research is to be believed, have a little human DNA in it. October 25, 2015 / 10:20 AM Remember the last time you were in the produce section of a grocery store? Now thatsahygienic issue. Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. But let's say, just for the sake of argument, that Clear Labs' research methods and results can be trusted. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Biden was treated for basal cell carcinoma. While, Before you gulp that daily glass of OJ, check out these 9 other surprising foods packed with vitamin C, an essential nutrient required for the development and maintenance of scar tissue, blood vessels, cartilage and more. What is DNA? Basically, any food that you haven't personally grown or harvested. But the ingredients of hot dogs aren't nearly as ominous as we're often led to believe. Did you buy every apple or orange or potato or avocado that you groped or squeezed to make sure it was fresh? Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in two percent of all hot dog samples. 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? 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. Its not all about, about 10 Foods Thatll Have You Sleeping Like A Baby. Clear Labs, a nonprofit group that analyzes food at. Trader Joe's is the best bet for vegetarians. Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. In effect, almost all U.S. hot dogs are made with just meat.". Gardein was the top specialty or regional brand. Marion Nestle, a professor of public health and food studies at New York University and the author of several books, including "Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health," said the report's findings are not entirely surprising. 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. The company analyzed 345 hot dog and sausage products from 75 brands and 10 retailers, and said they found "human DNA in 2% of the samples, and in 2/3rds of the vegetarian samples.". Occasionally human workers are involved in the process, but theyre wearing so much protective gear youd think they were handling plutonium. A company that uses genomic analysis technology to get information on the contents of food has . Maybe youve seen The Water Challenge floating around on social media. And most of our top guys have seriously dry skin. Four of the six samples that tested positive for human DNA were vegetarian products. "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. 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 did actual human DNA end up in hotdogs? Human DNA in samples "is a sign of lots of touching with human hands," she told ABC News. Occasionally human workers are involved in the process, but they're wearing so much protective gear you'd think they were handling plutonium. What makes us human? We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Additionally, 10% of vegetarian hot dogs sold today contain traces of meat. originally ran on MensHealth.com. 7 Natural Anti-Anxiety Herbs to Reduce Stress, Human DNA Found in a Small Sample of Hot Dogs and Sausages. Two-thirds of the human DNA was found in vegetarian products. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest. 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. What are they going to tell us? It's a theory echoed by Gregg Rentfrow, Ph.D., a professor in Animal and Food Science at the University of Kentucky. Oh, and she loves to take care of two ridiculously- spoiled cats in her free time. Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. 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. .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. Hot Dogs and Processed Meats as Bad as Cigarettes? 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. In other words, the ingredients on the package didnt always match what was in the samples. "Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. "We found chicken in a vegetarian breakfast sausage and pork in a vegetarian hot dog," the report explains. For non-meat eaters the results are particularly eye-opening: 10 percent of the vegetarian products tested contained meat (chicken in the veggie breakfast sausages and pork in the veggie hot dogs), and four of the 21 vegetarian samples had "hygienic issues." Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, about 7 billion hot dogs will be consumed in the U.S., and on the Fourth of July more than 150 million hot dogs will be consumed alone. Part of HuffPost News. 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? The Hot Dog Report, Clear Food web site; http://www.clearfood.com/food_reports/2015/the_hotdog_report, last accessed October 30, 2015. The online food guide, which uses "genomic technology" to examine foods by ingredients, foundhuman DNA in 2% of the samples. However, Janet Riley, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, said Clear Food "has said very little about its sample collection procedure. Is It Safe to Use Expired Protein Powder? That human DNA the Fresh Lab scientists found on the hotdogs they tested? But there were plenty of impartial meat academics happy to weigh in. DNA from 7,300-year-old skeleton Bess' found in Sulawesi cave uncovers mysterious human lineage ABC Science / By science reporter Belinda Smith Posted Wed 25 Aug 2021 at 12:00pm, updated Wed 25 Aug 2021 at 2:02pm The cave in which this skeleton was found was earmarked for development as a water park. 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. The genomic analysis involved 345 different hot dog or sausage products from 75 brands, purchased at 10 different retailers in the US. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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 . 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, sorry, there aren't any pig anuses in hot dogs. Like Davey Griffin, Ph.D., a professor and meat specialist at the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. ", "It's entirely possible that the human DNA found could be linked back to the company's own staff," Riley said in a statement on Tuesday. A food with a substitution issue has an unexpected ingredient that is not listed on the label. Clear Foodalso finds "there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity.". That human DNA the Fresh Lab scientists found on the hotdogs they tested? This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. about 7 billion hot dogs will be consumed in the U.S. Three percent of samples contained a pork substitution, which is particularly troubling for people who do not eat pork for religious reasons. Developed By, Antibiotics Could be to Blame for Skyrocketing Mental Illness Rates. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has attempted to reach Clear Food multiple times for further explanation on the report, according to Riley. 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 . And they "provide limited information on their methodology. They analyzed 345 hot dogs. That may not bother a lot of people, but it means that 3 percent of the sausage and hot dog products tested contained a type of meat that's often excluded for religious reasons. "It is unlikely that human DNA is harmful to consumer health. Regionally, the top 3 specialty and regional hot dog brands were Gardein, Taverrites and Field to Family Natural Foods. The Clear Labs hot dog study found human DNA samples in 2 percent of the 345 hot dogs and sausages. It would appear that modern hot dogs are made almost entirely by scary-looking machines. 9 Surprising Foods Packed With Vitamin C, 10 Signs Youre Living With Clogged Arteries, Tracee Ellis Ross at 50: Loving Her Body With No Filter, Taraji P. Hensons Workout: It Keeps Me Calm & Happy, Football Legend & Coach Deion Sanders Has Toes Amputated, BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy, 10 Foods Thatll Have You Sleeping Like A Baby, When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip: Healthy Dips For Super Bowl Weekend, Move Over Oranges! A study of both meat and vegetarian hot dogs showed that they contain unadvertised ingredients - including human DNA. But pig anus may seem like a more appetizing option when compared with the latest hot dog accusation. Overall, 14.4% of the hotdogs and sausages that were tested were listed as "problematic" because of substituted or unexpected ingredients or hygienic issues. As for specialty picks, the study suggested Taverrite's pork sausages and vegetarian option Gardien. But hey, customers hardly ever taste the flakes.. If you crunched the numbers, it was admittedly alarming. Additionally, 10 percent of all vegetarian products appeared to contain meat. "Theres the old saying, 'You dont want to know how the sausage get made.' You May Also Like 13 Signs You Need to See a Dermatologist Overall, 14.4 percent of the hot dogs and sausages tested by Clear Foods "were problematic," the company said. The article "Is There Really Human DNA in Hot Dogs?" So what does this mean to you? First of all, let's all take a deep breath. "Skin is not allowed as it has no muscle tissue and thus does not qualify as a muscle trimming. Especially when it comes to hot dogs. 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. "DNA testing produces no end of surprises but I seriously doubt that parts of human remains are incorporated into even the cheapest sausages.