Three percent of samples contained a pork substitution, which is particularly troubling for people who do not eat pork for religious reasons. DNA was in two per cent of all samples, predominantly in veggie products. 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. And, yep, 10 percent of them contained meat. A spokesperson for Clear Food said that human DNA "degrades the quality of food" but is less of a public health concern. October 25, 2015 / 10:20 AM Researchers found issues with 14.4 percent of analyzed samples. So, it's true that human DNA was found in hot dog samples - but that doesn't mean that consumers are cannibals as some of the more hysterical posts have claimed after the study was reported widely on media such as ABC News and USA Today. 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?" Other ingredients such as chicken, lamb, turkey and beef showed up in samples that were not listed on the product's packaging, according to Clear Food, which did note that no pork was found in the "100% Kosher" products it tested. This content is imported from youTube. ", 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. 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. And despite the genomic tests being done in California crowd-sourced labs, they probably dont have any people parts. Imagine how many apples could test positive after being handled by half the people shopping in the grocery store, he says. If you can stomach it, take a look at this video demonstrating how hot dogs are made. 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. They analyzed 345 hot dogs. What makes us human? But there were plenty of impartial meat academics happy to weigh in. 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.. Four of the six samples that tested positive for human DNA were vegetarian products. 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. 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. In products not supposed to contain them, 10 contained tracesof chicken meat, 9 pork, 4 beef, 3 turkey and 2 lamb. Moreover, the amount of protein listed in some of the vegetarian products exaggerated the amount of protein in the item by as much as 250 percent, according to the report. BDO is the worlds largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. Biden was treated for basal cell carcinoma. 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.". So what are we missing? Now thatsahygienic issue. Vegetarian hot dogs were also found to contain traces of meat, suggesting that they may not be as meat-free as advertised. 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 study, conducted by food analytics lab Clear Food, analyzed 345 different hot dogs and sausages, including vegetarian versions. Andrew L. Milkowski, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, says hes suspicious about the quality of (Clear Labs) information., After reviewing the companys website and research, Milkowski claims that while the founders have a molecular genetics background, as far as I can tell they do not have any expertise or scientific training around food or agriculture. And they provide limited information on their methodology. There's a concept that'll haunt you if you think about it too much. Pork substitution was an issue in products across the price spectrum being sold at a wide variety of retailers.". BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. 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? We didn't reach out to any of the major hot dog manufacturers, because obviously they would only deny the study's findings. U.S. Likely more than 2%. After analyzing hot dogs from 75 different brands, Clear Foods discovered human DNA in 2% of the samples studied. Julie Fidler has written hundreds of articles on key world topics such as health, drugs, and law. "I have been in numerous plants that make hot dogs and other processed meat products across this country," he told us. Clear Food, an independent company that analyzes food at the molecular level, found that 14.4 percent of the hot dogs it tested were "problematic.". Is there any food more maligned than the lowly hot dog? Then, long links of hot dogs are cooked in a smokehouse, cooled by being passed under a. 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. 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. "Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. "In most cases, a lot of humans are employed in the meat industry, and their DNA is throughout the building. Copyright2023, BlackDoctor, Inc.All rights reserved. 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. Clear Foods also analyzed vegetarian hot dogs and sausages. 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. Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. Its not like somebody found a pinkie in a Hebrew National. "U.S. standards and labeling requirements are restrictive," says Milkowski. Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National were among the major brands that received top scores from Clear 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. 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. In other words, yes, your hot dogs are going to have a little human DNA on them. And for most of the Internet, it was enough reason to go into full-on panic mode. The study also concludes that 10 percent of veggie dog brands tested contained meat. 10 Ways to Control Blood Sugar without Medication, Horton, H., Human DNA found in hot dogs and 10% of vegetarian sausages contain meat,, Meers, W., Hot Dogs Contain Human DNA, Veggie Dogs Contain Meat: Study,, Oaklander, M., This Could Cut Your Health Costs by $25,000 a Year, Study Finds,, Schulte, B., Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, heres how it changes your brain,, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11956947/human-DNA-found-in-hot-dogs-vegetarian-sausages-contain-meat.html, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hot-dogs-dna-veggie-dogs-meat_562e45abe4b0ec0a38950dc5, http://time.com/4071897/stress-relief-healthcare-costs/, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/. As in, homo sapiens. Only one of the molecules has vitamin statusNR. She is also the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. It did not . The good news: As bad as some brands were found to be, there are some . But hey, customers hardly ever taste the flakes.". It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. Hot dogs have never been seen as prime cuts of meat, but a new study has found human DNA in some samples. Just try to think a bit more about DNA testing while you're doing so. 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.. Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in 2 percent of all hot dog samples. For the record, no, hot dogs dont contain anus. Clear Labs, a nonprofit group that analyzes food at. The stuffers pump the emulsified hot dog mixture into casings. Nearly every cell in a person's body has the same DNA. It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. 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 . But it's definitely disconcerting news for all those who are trying to cut down or avoid eating meat products by buying vegetarian options. Occasionally human workers are involved in the process, but theyre wearing so much protective gear youd think they were handling plutonium. ", "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. And heres another quandary worth considering. 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.". (Supplied: University of Hasanuddin) One with a hygienic issue contains non-harmful contaminants, such as human DNA. Researchers found issues with 14.4 percent of analyzed samples. By MORGAN KORN October 27, 2015, 8:50 AM 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. It sounds horrifying. "It could have come from the person doing the analysis in the lab," says Rentfrow. What are they going to tell us? " Report: Human DNA Found in Hot Dogs " said USA Today, in a typical example. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistakenly listed the Taverrite's brand as vegetarian. Clear Food is the consumer outreach arm of Clear Labs, a B2B food analytics startup based in California. That human DNA the Fresh Lab scientists found on the hotdogs they tested? Even more disturbing, 66 percent of those cases were found in vegetarian-labeled products. 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. 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. originally ran on MensHealth.com. 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. 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. Hot dogs haven't received much love lately. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has attempted to reach Clear Food multiple times for further explanation on the report, according to Riley. At least not enough to worry about. Gardein was the top specialty or regional brand. Heres another analysis that will either put everything in perspective or send you into a spiral of food paranoia. The Absolute Best Crackers for Healthy Snacking, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Clear Food does not release the names of the poor-performing products. But why bother with store-bought snacks when you can make healthier homemade versions, Calling All Dippers and Chippers! "DNA testing produces no end of surprises but I seriously doubt that parts of human remains are incorporated into even the cheapest sausages. 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. This information is coming from a study by a fairly new organization that's using Kickstarter to fund much of its research. Wake up to the day's most important news. How is anything from the bodies of a hotdog worker getting into the mix? 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. "We found chicken in a vegetarian breakfast sausage and pork in a vegetarian hot dog," the report explains. It would appear that modern hot dogs are made almost entirely by scary-looking machines. ", "Anything that's made from meat byproducts is likely to contain parts that don't pass the 'yuck' test," she added. However, Janet Riley, president of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, said Clear Food "has said very little about its sample collection procedure. But there were plenty of impartial meat academics happy to weigh in. That's right, human DNA. 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. Clear Food study found 14.4 per cent of hot dogs or . Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of, Kale is the newest craze in the health world. Additionally, 10% of vegetarian hot dogs sold today contain traces of meat. What percentage of grocery store fruits and vegetables have a little human DNA on them? about When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip: Healthy Dips For Super Bowl Weekend, about Move Over Oranges! Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. Rachel Holt (@ItsRachelHolt) dishes what else the study found. 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. Regionally, the top 3 specialty and regional hot dog brands were Gardein, Taverrites and Field to Family Natural Foods. "It is unlikely that human DNA is harmful to consumer health. 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. And Gardein topped the specialty and regional hot dog list. 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. .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. If you crunched the numbers, it was admittedly alarming. Or lips. It happens. 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.). Could Hibiscus Tea be Better than High Blood Pressure Drugs? "It's always a good idea to make sure that ground meats of any kind are well cooked.". Do they have appropriate laboratory quality procedures with both positive and negative reference sample controls in their analyses? 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. What You Should Know: Two percent of the samples tested positive for human DNA, and a whopping 66 percent of vegetarian hot dogs contained evidence of such contamination. Like Davey Griffin, Ph.D., a professor and meat specialist at the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M; University. "Skin is not allowed as it has no muscle tissue and thus does not qualify as a muscle trimming. 7 Natural Anti-Anxiety Herbs to Reduce Stress, Human DNA Found in a Small Sample of Hot Dogs and Sausages. Nobody knows what's in a hot dog. 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.". It did not . In a story that seems more appropriate in a Syfy original movie, Clear Food, a Bay Area-based food analytics lab, recently revealed that an in-depth DNA analysis on 75 major hot dog brands found traces of human DNA in 2 percent of all hot dogs and in around two-thirds of all vegetarian options. Woot! Check out the Clear Food site for the complete list of products Clear Food regards as high quality. Overall, the company found nutritional label inaccuracies, pork substitution and some unexpected ingredients, including chicken and lamb in its hot dogs. Font Size: Clear Food, a subsidiary of food analyzation startup Clear Labs, found that human DNA is present in 2 percent of hot dog and sausage brands, according to a recent study. If you can stomach it, take a look at this video demonstrating how hot dogs are made. 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. This bizarre information came from a single document released on Oct. 17 by the consumer marketing arm of a. The study, conducted by food analytics lab Clear Food, analyzed 345 different hot dogs and sausages, including vegetarian versions. Clear Foodalso finds "there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity.". Initial attempts by USA TODAY Network to. 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 . Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. How did actual human DNA end up in hotdogs? ", "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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. Hot dogs, bacon, processed meats linked to cancer. Clear Food also found other problems with the hot dogs, including mislabeled ingredients, which could raise concern among religious and vegetarian groups. First published on October 25, 2015 / 10:20 AM. But "people" is an ingredient most would expect limited to Soylent Green. (Substitution meanswhen ingredients are added to the productthat are not displayed on the label and hygienic issues happen when a "non-harmful contaminant is introduced to the hot dog."). Developed By, Antibiotics Could be to Blame for Skyrocketing Mental Illness Rates. Like Davey Griffin, Ph.D., a professor and meat specialist at the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University. Department Illegally Seizes Privately Owned Bees Resistant to GMO Poison, Breakdown of GMO Labeling Laws in Each Country (Global Map), What Theyre Not Telling You About Monsantos Role in Ukraine, Toxic Weedkiller Dicamba Drift Damages Crops Across America. 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. 2023 - All Rights Reserved. The human DNA isn't . It's not like somebody found a pinkie in a Hebrew National. Challenge yourself to drink one gallon of water DAILY at least for 30 days! But hey, customers hardly ever taste the flakes.. 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. The researchers found that there were issues with more than 14% of the samples analyzed. 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. 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. Men's Health Review: Dymatize Protein Powder, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. 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 National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, a trade group that represents hog dog and sausage manufacturers, called the report a "publicity stunt. "It is unlikely that human DNA is harmful to consumer health. Even more disturbing, 66 percent of those cases were found in vegetarian-labeled products. 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. So, sorry, there aren't any pig anuses in hot dogs. A new DNA analysis of hot dogs and sausages in the US has revealed a few harsh realities about everyone's favourite street food. At least investigators didnt find a finger, but still [1]. 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.. The skull of a modern human female individual from Zlat k. Once it's inside the cell, it transforms into NMN and then to NAD+. Do they have appropriate laboratory quality procedures with both positive and negative reference sample controls in their analyses? Clear Food Labs, a food analytics start-up found that 10% of vegetarian hot . And they "provide limited information on their methodology. 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 . As in, homo sapiens. The products came from 75. 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. Credit: Marek Janta. Remember the first time a friend told you the horrible truth about hot dogs; that theyre actually made from lips and hooves and pigs anus? Basically, any food that you haven't personally grown or harvested. And, yep, 10 percent of them contained meat. / CBS News. A food with a substitution issue has an unexpected ingredient that is not listed on the label. Who are Really the Top Shareholders of Monsanto? Did you buy every apple or orange or potato or avocado that you groped or squeezed to make sure it was fresh? Sixty-seven percent of hygienic problems found in the report were from vegetarian products. Yes, human DNA! Ten percent of vegetarian products contained meat. Is that even possible? Suppress Coughs by Coating the Throat inChocolate? ", Well, what about blood or skin? 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. Is that even possible? It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. This publicity stunt changes nothing about the fundamental safety of Americas carefully regulated and inspected hot dogs.. 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. Sean Gallup/Getty Images By Tina Hesman Saey July 16, 2021 at. 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. Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. Unless you follow Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Human DNA is the last thing you could expect in your food. Our product picks are editor-tested, expert-approved. 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.