Study: Eating 1 Hot Dog Can Take 36 Minutes Off Your Life (Plus More Potential Dangers)

Frequently found everywhere from hot dog stands on the street corners to summertime barbecues and picnics, hot dogs are a popular food eaten around the world, but a recent study found that eating just one beef hot dog can result in the loss of 36 minutes of healthy life.

The standard hot dog is made from the trimmings of beef and pork, which are ground up and blended up into a batter along with additional ingredients, like seasonings, curing ingredients and sodium nitrite to help boost both shelf life and color. This mixture then goes into a machine that pumps them into cellulose casings that are then cooked, doused in cold water and packaged into the individual links that you find at the grocery store.

So, what are hot dogs made of? Most hot dogs are made from finely ground beef, pork, chicken, turkey or a blend of meats, along with water, salt, spices, curing agents and preservatives.

Common hot dog ingredients can include sodium nitrite or nitrate, corn syrup or another sweetener, food starch, liquid smoke, flavorings, and casings. Some hot dogs may also contain mechanically separated meat, meat by-products or “variety meats,” depending on the label.

While hot dogs may be a go-to favorite for many when it comes time to fire up the grill, they may not make the healthiest addition to your diet. In fact, these recent findings suggest that eating them will reduce your healthy life span.

Not only are hot dogs highly processed meat and filled with potentially harmful chemicals like nitrates, nitrites and MSG, but there have also been a series of hot dog recall warnings that call into question the safety of your favorite frankfurter.

What are hot dogs made of?

Hot dogs are usually made from meat trimmings that are ground into a fine mixture with water, salt, seasonings, curing ingredients and preservatives. The mixture is stuffed into a casing, cooked and packaged.

While ingredient lists vary by brand, many conventional hot dogs contain processed meat, sodium nitrite or nitrate, added flavorings, sweeteners, and high amounts of sodium.

Hot dog study findings

A 2021 study published in the journal Nature Food analyzed over 5,800 foods in the American diet and measured their potential effects on life span. The team of researchers at the University of Michigan designed an index that calculates the net detrimental or beneficial burden in minutes of life that’s associated with a particular food.

The index measured exactly how many minutes are deducted or added to life after the consumption of certain foods, like processed meats, nuts,  fruits and vegetables.

Using this index, researchers found that a standard beef hot dog on a bun results in healthy life loss of 27 minutes, but when ingredients such as trans fats and sodium are factored in to the equation, eating a hot dog can reduce healthy life by 36 minutes, according to study findings.

Other hidden dangers

The bone-chilling details of this recent hot dog study aren’t the only reason you should probably consider cutting back on your hot dog consumption. Besides the potential risk for contamination with bones, metal shards and foodborne illness, there are also some other negative health effects and hidden dangers of hot dogs that should be considered.

1. Made with harmful additives

Hot dogs contain several food additives that could be detrimental to your health. Sodium nitrite, for example, is commonly added to processed meats, such as hot dogs, bacon and ham, to act as a preservative, block bacteria growth and enhance the color.

Though nitrites themselves are generally not harmful, research suggests that when they are exposed to high heat or the acidity of the stomach, they can form nitrosamines, which are considered carcinogenic.

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is another additive frequently found in processed meats and used to enhance flavor. Some studies have found that MSG can be genotoxic, meaning it causes damage to our cells, while other studies have shown that chronic MSG consumption has caused kidney damage in animals.

Additionally, although there is limited scientific evidence on MSG sensitivity, there are many anecdotal reports of experiencing symptoms like headaches, hives, congestion and chest pain following MSG consumption.

2. Increased risk of heart disease

Hot dogs tend to be high in sodium, fat and cholesterol. Excessive consumption can lead to problems like high blood pressure or elevated blood lipids, which can increase your risk of heart disease.

Additionally, hot dogs are highly processed foods. Processed meats have repeatedly been linked to a higher heart disease risk.

For example, a 2014 study found that eating more processed red meat led to a higher risk of heart failure.

Another study in the journal Public Health Nutrition found that each serving of processed meat boosted the risk of heart disease mortality by 15 percent.

3. Increased risk of cancer

The World Health Organization made a splash by publishing a report classifying processed meats, such as hot dogs, as “carcinogenic to humans,” right alongside harmful compounds like tobacco and asbestos. This conclusion was based on multiple studies that have established a clear link between consumption of processed meats, like hot dogs, and an increased risk of certain types of cancer.

For example, a 2014 study grouped participants into categories based on their processed meat consumption. Data indicated that those with the highest intake of processed meats had a 22 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer than those with the lowest intake, and each 100-gram increase in intake was linked to a 14 percent higher risk.

Other studies have also found an association between high consumption of processed meat and a higher risk for breast, lung and stomach cancer.

4. Questionable ingredients

It’s not uncommon to see hot dog recalls making news headlines. In 2017, the company that makes hot dogs for popular brands like Nathan’s announced a hot dog recall due to the presence of tiny shards of metal found in the packaging.

Only one year before that, another hot dog recall notice was issued because of listeria contamination.

A more recent hot dog recall, however, may make you rethink your menu for your next summer barbecue. The maker of Sabrett hot dogs recalled more than 7 million pounds of hot dogs and sausages after finding that they contained bone fragments that caused minor injuries to at least one person.

Once you understand the process of how hot dogs are made, it’s not hard to imagine how this type of contamination could easily occur. Throw a bunch of meat trimmings into a blender and you’re bound to get the occasional bone or shard of metal, along with who knows what else.

There are other possible unsavory hidden ingredients that could be lurking in your hot dog as well. For example, if you’re browsing the hot dog aisle and see a package that reads “variety meats” or “meat by-products,” that means that it can contain other parts of the animal, including organs like the heart, liver or kidneys.

To avoid these ingredients, stick to brands that contain “all meat,” such as “all turkey” or “all beef.”

When reading a hot dog label, look for the first few ingredients first. A shorter ingredient list with a clearly named meat, such as beef, turkey or chicken, is generally preferable to one that lists meat by-products, variety meats, mechanically separated meat, added sugars, artificial colors or several preservatives.

That does not make hot dogs a health food, but it can help you choose a less processed option if you eat them occasionally.

Additionally, hot dogs may also contain mechanically separated meat, or MSM. This is a type of meat that has been pushed through a sieve to separate the meat from the bone, creating a type of paste.

While this process was made illegal in the United States in 2004 due to its association with mad cow disease, regulations now state that hot dogs can still contain up to 20 percent MSM.

5. May cause allergic reaction

Some people have reported allergic reactions or negative symptoms after eating hot dogs. Hot dogs typically contain a long list of ingredients, so it can be hard to pinpoint exactly which ingredients may be to blame for these symptoms.

While it can sometimes be an allergy to the specific kind of meat used, it is more often an allergy resulting from one of the additives or dyes found in hot dogs. Nitrates, annatto seed, carmine and tartrazine are a few of the ingredients that are often responsible for adverse reactions after eating hot dogs.

Like all foods, you should stop eating hot dogs immediately and consult your doctor if you experience any negative symptoms.

How are hot dogs made?

There are a few basic steps to making hot dogs, although some of the spices and order of steps vary according to where the dogs will be sold. That’s right, according to the people at hot dog manufacturing facilities, where the dogs are sold dictates how they taste as people in different regions have different preferences when it comes to their hot dogs.

In simple terms, a hot dog is a processed sausage-style meat product. The main ingredient is usually beef, pork, chicken, turkey or a combination of meats. From there, manufacturers typically add water, salt, spices, curing agents and other ingredients to improve texture, flavor, color and shelf life.

In general, the following steps explain how hot dogs are made and what they’re made of:

1. Trimmings are raked into stainless steel cases. (Trimmings are what’s left over after cutting up steaks and pork chops.)
2. The trimmings are next dumped into a chopper where they are chopped.
3. Water, salt, corn syrup or sorbitol, food starch, and liquid smoke are added.
4. All ingredients are blended in a large vat.
5. Secret spices are now added. These vary based on where the hot dogs will be sold.
6. Sodium nitrate is added for extending shelf life and color enhancement.
7. The meat mixture is put through a funnel and comes out the other end looking a lot like what a meat smoothie would resemble.
8. The dogs are stuffed into cellulose tubing and cut every 5 ¼ inches.
9. The now closed hot dogs are baked.
10. The cooked hot dogs are doused in cold, salty water and packaged.

This is why the answer to “how hot dogs are made” is not simply “meat in a casing.” Hot dogs are typically made by turning meat trimmings into a finely blended emulsion; mixing in salt, water, spices and preservatives; filling the mixture into casings; cooking the links; cooling them; and packaging them for sale.

As the popularity of hot dogs has grown, more and more types of hot dogs have hit the shelves. In addition to the standard beef and pork franks, other types of hot dogs include turkey, chicken and cheese-filled hot dogs, as well as deep-fried corn dogs.

Hot dogs are also available in reduced-fat, all meat, nitrite-free and even vegetarian varieties.

Though some of these types may be preferential over the standard fat-filled, sodium-rich hot dogs, they should all still be consumed only in moderation. Vegetarian hot dogs (also cleverly dubbed “not dogs”), for example, may be lower in cholesterol and fat than regular hot dogs, but they are still highly processed and usually contain a long list of questionable ingredients, like soy and textured vegetable protein.

Nutrition facts

The nutrients found in hot dogs can vary based on the brand, the type of meat used and the toppings that are added. However, most hot dogs tend to be high in sodium and cholesterol, as well as saturated fat.

They also are usually low in carbohydrates and provide a moderate amount of protein, with anywhere from five to eight grams of protein per serving.

For reference, one beef frankfurter (about 48 grams) contains approximately:

• Calories: 155
• Total Carbohydrates: 1.3 g
• Sugar: 0.6 g
• Total Fat: 14.1 g
• Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 6.1 g
• Protein: 5.6 g
• Sodium: 409 mg (18% DV*)
• Vitamin B12: 0.7 mcg (29% DV)
• Selenium: 5.2 mcg (9% DV)
• Zinc: 1 mg (9% DV)
• Niacin: 0.9 mg (6% DV)
• Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg (6% DV)
• Phosphorus: 66.7 mg (5% DV)
• Iron: 0.6 mg (3% DV)
• Potassium: 121 mg (3% DV)

*Daily Value: Percentages are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day.

Beef hot dog nutrition also provides a small amount of calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, choline, betaine, vitamin E, vitamin D and vitamin K.

Note that this is the nutrient information for a beef hot dog with no toppings or bun. Adding a bun can increase the hot dog calories by about 120, while considerably increasing the carbohydrate and sodium content as well.

Meanwhile, any additional toppings or condiments, like ketchup or mustard, will increase your hot dog calories even more depending on how much is used.

The biggest nutrition concern with many hot dogs is not just calories. It is the combination of processed meat, sodium, saturated fat and additives.

One plain beef frankfurter can contain more than 400 milligrams of sodium before adding a bun, ketchup, mustard, relish, cheese or other toppings.

Are hot dogs already cooked?

Most packaged hot dogs sold in grocery stores are fully cooked, but they still need to be handled safely. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, unopened packages can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks if there is no product date, while opened packages should be used within one week.

Hot dogs should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours, or more than one hour when temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

People at higher risk of foodborne illness, including pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, should reheat hot dogs until steaming hot before eating because of the risk of listeriosis.

Healthier alternatives

If you’re a big fan of hot dogs and can’t imagine hosting a barbecue without them on the menu, there are ways to make your hot dog a bit healthier.

Check your local grocery stores for “all meat” and “nitrite-free” hot dog varieties. Additionally, practice label reading, and look for a brand that is lower in sodium, saturated fat and calories with minimal ingredients listed.

Remember that those extra toppings can stack up fast and may even provide more calories and sodium than the actual hot dog itself. Keep toppings like cheese, pickles and sauerkraut in check, and consider swapping these for healthier choices like avocado, tomatoes, cabbage or raw onions.

Then finish it off with a whole-wheat bun rather than a white bun to make sure you’re maximizing your nutrient intake.

There are also hot dog alternatives available at the grocery store, like chicken sausage and turkey dogs. Of course, make sure to check the ingredients on these products also to rule out unhealthy additives.

Finally, keep in mind that even the healthiest hot dog at the grocery store is still processed. Ideally, you should avoid hot dogs completely.

If you do want to enjoy the occasional hot dog from time to time, moderation should be key.

Frequently asked questions

What are hot dogs made out of?

Most hot dogs are made out of meat trimmings that are ground, blended with seasonings and curing ingredients, stuffed into casings, cooked, and packaged. The exact ingredients depend on the brand and type of hot dog.

What are the ingredients of a hot dog?

Common hot dog ingredients include meat, water, salt, spices, sodium nitrite or nitrate, flavorings, sweeteners, food starch, and casings. Some labels may also list mechanically separated meat, meat by-products or variety meats.

How are hot dogs made?

Hot dogs are made by grinding meat into a fine mixture; blending it with water, salt, spices and curing ingredients; stuffing it into casings; cooking the links; cooling them; and packaging them.

Are hot dogs processed meat?

Yes. Hot dogs are considered processed meat because they are preserved or flavored through methods such as curing, smoking, salting or the addition of preservatives. The World Health Organization lists hot dogs among examples of processed meat.

Are hot dogs healthy?

Hot dogs are not generally considered a healthy food because they are highly processed and often high in sodium, saturated fat and preservatives. If eaten at all, they are best to eat occasionally rather than regularly as part of your diet.

Conclusion

• Unsurprisingly, hot dogs are hardly considered a health food thanks to their high amount of sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat coupled with their long list of highly processed ingredients. Because of the way that hot dogs are made, they also present an increased risk of contamination and really should be avoided. If you need further proof, look no further than the long list of hot dog recall reports and the recent study that consuming just one can take time off your life.
• While there are plenty of healthy hot dog alternatives and ways to improve the nutrient profile of your frankfurter, they should still be enjoyed only in moderation.
• Chowing down on a hot dog or two at your annual Fourth of July party is one thing, but including them as a regular part of your diet could lead to some seriously negative effects on your health.