Less is More for Hot Dogs: Survey

When it comes to eating hot dogs, Americans seem to be talking out of both sides of their mouths.

To be sure, hot dogs are a quintessential American food, and during National Hot Dog Month in July, Americans consume millions of frankfurters. At the same time, though, at least one new consumer survey from organic and natural meat supplier Applegate shows that there is a distinction between good and good for you when it comes to hot dogs.

According to the Applegate-sponsored survey, while 92 percent of Americans bought a package of hot dogs in the past year, 71 percent say they don’t think those franks are high quality and 85 percent of hot dog eaters admit they would rather buy hot dogs with a shorter ingredient list with beef, water, sea salt and spices versus one with ingredients like sodium phosphate and sodium nitrite. More than two thirds of those surveyed (68 percent) say they do want to know what ingredients are in hot dogs and how they are processed.

"Hot dogs and summer are synonymous, but it's no wonder that with ingredients like sodium diacetate and partially hydrolyzed beef stock on many conventional hot dog labels, most Americans don't think much of what's in them. I think the survey shows a certain level of guilt when it comes to enjoying a hot dog, but if you know what you're looking for on a label, it doesn't have to be that way,” says Stephen McDonnell, founder and CEO of Applegate, who notes that his company's hot dogs are made with the simpler ingredients of beef, water, sea salt and spices.