So what do you want from your hot dog? Some brands sell uncured hot dogs (sometimes without added nitrates), which are easier and more natural than nitrate-filled dogs. Also keep an eye out for hot dogs that contain more than 400 milligrams of sodium, which is almost a third of your recommended daily limit, and opt for organic hot dogs (which are made from organic meat, contain no antibiotics or hormones, and are nitrate-free) if you can, but remember that they are usually more expensive. So it doesn’t rain on your grill, but those natural additives that pop up in hot dogs may not be better for you. Some hot dog brands have distanced themselves from sodium nitrite, a chemical that heals meat, prevents foodborne illnesses such as botulism, extends the shelf life of sausages and is also used to preserve the
pink color.
Oscar Mayer is promoting his new hot dog recipe, which uses nitrite derived from celery juice instead of artificial sodium nitrite, which is used to preserve the pink colors of processed meats and prevent botulism. The packaging of Oscar Mayer’s classic uncured Vienna sausages touts that the hot dogs contain no additional nitrates or nitrites, except those that occur naturally in celery juice. We’ve done the work for you and found the healthiest and unhealthiest hot dogs in the supermarket. Hot dogs are an integral part of grilling, and compared to a cheese-covered burger or a juicy bratwurst, a normal-sized hot dog can actually contain fewer calories than
anything else on the grill.
In most cases, the sodium nitrite in hot dogs is replaced by celery in the form of an extract or powder. We’ve done the work for you and found the healthiest and unhealthiest hot dogs in the supermarket. Natural preservatives may not make hot dogs healthier, but they fit in with the growing preference for ingredients such as celery juice, which people can easily recognize. That’s the language you’ll now find on Oscar Mayer hot dog packs, even though only nitrites have been added to the products so far
.
Many health experts also say there’s no reason to worry about an occasional hot dog or Bologna sandwich. Hot dogs are one of those typical American foods that no summer barbecue is complete without. Oscar Mayer announced in May that the company had removed additional nitrites, nitrates, artificial preservatives and fillers from its entire Wiener series, and described himself as the first major
hot dog brand to take these steps.