But pig anus may seem like a more appetizing option when compared with the latest hot dog accusation. What is a Detox Bath and How do You take One? We may earn a commission through links on our site. The article "Is There Really Human DNA in Hot Dogs?" 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. "What we do know is that any product collected in the marketplace was inspected and passed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And so does most food that was processed, cooked, boxed, or placed on a supermarket shelf by another human being. That human DNA the Fresh Lab scientists found on the hotdogs they tested? about When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip: Healthy Dips For Super Bowl Weekend, about Move Over Oranges! The skull of a modern human female individual from Zlat k. Yes, human DNA! It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling. What percentage of grocery store fruits and vegetables have a little human DNA on them? October 25, 2015 11:34 PM ET. Horton, H., Human DNA found in hot dogs and 10% of vegetarian sausages contain meat, The Telegraph web site, October 27, 2015; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11956947/human-DNA-found-in-hot-dogs-vegetarian-sausages-contain-meat.html. 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. 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.". Some Hot Dogs, Sausages Studied Contain Human DNA, Says New Report Clear Foods also analyzed vegetarian hot dogs and sausages. While some of these substitutions, hygienic issues, other variances, or off-label ingredients may be permitted by the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], 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 explains. Unless you follow Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Human DNA is the last thing you could expect in your food. Does anyone leave a hotdog plant without taking a Silkwood shower? 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. Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in two percent of all hot dog 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. Does anyone leave a hotdog plant without taking a Silkwood shower? And we know that the food being served is almost as important as which team is scoring the most points. According to "The Hot Dog Report" put out by Clea. Were pretty sure there arent any hot dog packages that list people as an ingredient, but 2% of the samples contained trace amounts of human DNA, probably from saliva or hair. Two-thirds of that human DNA was found in vegetarian hot dogs, according to the study. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistakenly listed the Taverrite's brand as vegetarian. But thats not all. Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in 2 percent of all hot dog samples. .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. But a word of warning - the scientists only looked at one sample of each product, so it's hard to get a clear picture from that limited information about the overall safety and accuracy of an entire product line or brand. Basically, any food that you haven't personally grown or harvested. 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. It sounds horrifying. It sounds horrifying. Maybe Not, Study Shows, A Broccoli Anti-Aging Enzyme may Hold the Fountain of Youth, Illinois Ag. What is DNA? 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. As in, homo sapiens. 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. At least not enough to worry about. But the ingredients of hot dogs aren't nearly as ominous as we're often led to believe. She is also the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. want to find out," Clear Labs Cofounder Mahni Ghorashi told Huffington Post. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council has attempted to reach Clear Food multiple times for further explanation on the report, according to Riley. 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.. The DNA found in the samples likely came from "hair, skin, finger nail or saliva that was accidentally mixed in during the manufacturing process," according to Clear Food. For the record, no, hot dogs dont contain anus. And for most of the Internet, it was enough reason to go into full-on panic mode. 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. The good news: As bad as some brands were found to be, there are some . But there were plenty of impartial meat academics happy to weigh in. 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 . Sometimes referred to as mystery meat, hot dogs have often been the target of rumors. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Clear Food Labs, a food analytics start-up found that 10% of vegetarian hot . 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. Or shopping at grocery stores, or buying food that at any point in its production was touched by human hands. The researchers found human DNA in two percent of samples, and 2/3 of those products containing human DNA were vegetarian products. As for specialty picks, the study suggested Taverrite's pork sausages and vegetarian option Gardien. Is it true that a study found that some hot dog brands contained human DNA? "Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. ", "Anything that's made from meat byproducts is likely to contain parts that don't pass the 'yuck' test," she added. Additionally, 10% of vegetarian hot dogs sold today contain traces of meat. Related: Hot Dogs and Processed Meats as Bad as Cigarettes? But lets say, just for the sake of argument, that Clear Labs research methods and results can be trusted. "Skin is not allowed as it has no muscle tissue and thus does not qualify as a muscle trimming. Or lips. Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***. So, sorry, there arent any pig anuses in hot dogs. However, no kosher dogs tested contained pork. The company found hygiene issues in four of its 21 vegetarian samples. "We found chicken in a vegetarian breakfast sausage and pork in a vegetarian hot dog," the report explains. 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. This $50 Meal Prep Plan Will Help You Build Muscle, 10 Food Subscription Boxes Worth Ordering, Theres Nothing Special About Gut Health Diets. Remember the last time you were in the produce section of a grocery store? Imagine how many apples could test positive after being handled by half the people shopping in the grocery store, he says. It's a theory echoed by Gregg Rentfrow, Ph.D., a professor in Animal and Food Science at the University of Kentucky. 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.". 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.. And despite the genomic tests being done in California crowd-sourced labs, they probably dont have any people parts. 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. While researchers from Clear Food state that human DNA is unlikely to pose any health threats, they believe the information should be made available to the public and that people should be able to decide for themselves whether they are comfortable eating hot dogs given these findings. 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. 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. "It's always a good idea to make sure that ground meats of any kind are well cooked.". According to a study from Clear Labs, an independent food analytics startup, 10 percent of vegetarian hot dog products contain meat. Vegetarian hot dog products surprisingly fared the worst in this regard, with four out of the 21 products tested containing human DNA. The other other white meat. It did not . The study, conducted by food analytics lab Clear Food, analyzed 345 different hot dogs and sausages, including vegetarian versions. 3. Its not like somebody found a pinkie in a Hebrew National. Initial attempts by USA TODAY Network to. ", "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. "Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. Clear Food says the best retailers for hot dogs and sausage products are Target, Walmart and Safeway, and the top brands (in order) are Butterball, McCormick, Ekrich, and Hebrew National, all of which received a Clear Score of 96. In effect, almost all U.S. hot dogs are made with just meat.. Julie Fidler has written hundreds of articles on key world topics such as health, drugs, and law. The human DNA found in the dogs is largely the result of hair and broken fingernails. 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 . 2023 - All Rights Reserved. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. Overall, 14.4 percent of the hot dogs and sausages tested by Clear Foods were problematic, the company said. The hot dog and sausage report was self-funded, according to Clear Food. 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. Nobody knows what's in a hot dog. "Yes, humans work at meat processing establishments," he says. 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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. Hot dog ingredients have long been a source of controversy. ", "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 if this new research is in any way factual, 1.4 of your yearly hot dogs have bits of people in them. NR, on the other hand, can make its way into the cell on its own. We talked to actual experts in meat science, and got the real story. Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. Hot dogs haven't received much love lately. 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. It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling, ABC News reported. 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 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..