Hope you enjoyed your lunch, Hannibal Lecter. Clear Foods is a company that translates quantifiable molecular tests into actionable food data insights, according to its website. If you crunched the numbers, it was admittedly alarming. 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. ", Milkowski adds: "Certainly their information can make some juicy headlines and promote their organization, but I personally do not trust any of it. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest. The genomic analysis involved 345 different hot dog or sausage products from 75 brands, purchased at 10 different retailers in the US. Vegetarian hot dog products surprisingly fared the worst in this regard, with four out of the 21 products tested containing human DNA. Getty Images Ten percent of vegetarian products contained meat. It would appear that modern hot dogs are made almost entirely by scary-looking machines. The other other white meat. As for the top dogs, Clear Food recommends national brands Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National. 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.". Skin is not allowed as it has no muscle tissue and thus does not qualify as a muscle trimming. 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. 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. Remember the first time a friend told you the horrible truth about hot dogs; that they're actually made from lips and hooves and pig's anus? Are Farmers Being Manipulated Into Buying GMO Soybean Seeds? In products not supposed to contain them, 10 contained tracesof chicken meat, 9 pork, 4 beef, 3 turkey and 2 lamb. 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. It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling. A new DNA analysis of hot dogs and sausages in the US has revealed a few harsh realities about everyone's favourite street food. The Clear Labs hot dog study found human DNA samples in 2 percent of the 345 hot dogs and sausages. During these very stressful times, it can be challenging to fall asleep or stay asleep. 2023 - All Rights Reserved. The human DNA isn't . A food with a substitution issue has an unexpected ingredient that is not listed on the label. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. At least investigators didnt find a finger, but still [1]. 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.. "Any organs or edible by-products must be explicitly labeled in the ingredient line and the product name must have a qualifier 'made with variety meats'. How did actual human DNA end up in hotdogs? 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.". "What we do know is that any product collected in the marketplace was inspected and passed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Yes, humans work at meat processing establishments, he says. It's a theory echoed by Gregg Rentfrow, Ph.D., a professor in Animal and Food Science at the University of Kentucky. 7 Natural Anti-Anxiety Herbs to Reduce Stress, Human DNA Found in a Small Sample of Hot Dogs and Sausages. "It's always a good idea to make sure that ground meats of any kind are well cooked.". Not least, the fact that 10 percent of the vegetarian mock-meat products tested actually contained meat. Vegetarian hot dogs were also found to contain traces of meat, suggesting that they may not be as meat-free as advertised. A study of both meat and vegetarian hot dogs showed that they contain unadvertised ingredients - including human DNA. That human DNA the Fresh Lab scientists found on the hotdogs they tested? Remember the last time you were in the produce section of a grocery store? Around 3% of hot dogs and sausages analyzed contained pork where it wasn't listed, ten percent of vegetarian dogs included animal DNA, and most shocking of all 2% of samples contained. Does anyone leave a hotdog plant without taking a Silkwood shower? Yes, the ONE thing that they are NOT supposed to have in it. BDO is the worlds largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. It did not. Human DNA has been found in two per cent of hot dogs and sausages, a major study of popular brands has revealed Tests on 345 samples from different 75 brands also revealed ten per cent of. The study, conducted by Clear Food, found human DNA in hot dog sausage from 75 different brands, besides also finding that 10 percent of vegetarian sausage have meat in them. But there were plenty of impartial meat academics happy to weigh in. That's right, human DNA. Do they have appropriate laboratory quality procedures with both positive and negative reference sample controls in their analyses? It does, however, score products based on hygiene, safety and accurate labeling, ABC News reported. And most of our top guys have seriously dry skin. And so does most food that was processed, cooked, boxed, or placed on a supermarket shelf by another human being. But the good news from the report (yes, there is some!) 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. Two-thirds of the human DNA was found in vegetarian products. It also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. Hot dogs were found to contain different types of meat than what was listed on the label. The study suggests that those looking for a DNA-free dog should head to Target, Safeway and Walmart, the study reports. The products came from 75. Yes, human DNA! The skull of a modern human female individual from Zlat k. 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. complete list of products Clear Food regards as high quality. To be clear, the presence of human DNA does not mean there is human flesh in the hot dogs. ", After reviewing the company's 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." Still, it's always nice to use a little science when making your shopping decisions, so go forth and gorge yourself on hot dogs. Challenge yourself to drink one gallon of water DAILY at least for 30 days! All rights reserved. Nobody knows what's in a hot dog. Is it true that a study found that some hot dog brands contained human DNA? 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 . [2]. Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of, Kale is the newest craze in the health world. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. And if this new research is in any way factual, 1.4 of your yearly hot dogs have bits of people in them. 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 also found human DNA in 2 percent of its hot dog samples and two-thirds of the vegetarian samples. Scientists have sequenced the oldest Homo sapiens DNA on record, showing that many of Europe's first . Clear Foods, which "uses genomic technology to analyze the world's foods at a molecular level, ingredient by ingredient," released a report recently that it said was designed to look at the accuracy of the content labels of several major hot dog brands. We talked to the actual experts in meat science, and got the real story, Is there any food more maligned than the lowly hot dog? After analyzing hot dogs from 75 different brands, Clear Foods discovered human DNA in 2% of the samples studied. "We found chicken in a vegetarian breakfast sausage and pork in a vegetarian hot dog," the report explains. It sounds horrifying. Related: Hot Dogs and Processed Meats as Bad as Cigarettes? Two-thirdsof the human DNA samples were vegetarian, according to Clear Food. "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. 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. How do they assure there are no false positives? Initial attempts by USA TODAY Network to. And they're not wholly unwarranted," the report said. DNA is not a food safety hazard, says Jonathan A. Campbell, Ph.D., a Meat Specialist and Assistant Professor at Penn State University. Concession stand worker Janice Towns checks on the hot dogs she is making July 23, 2013, on National Hot Dog Day at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The online food guide, which uses "genomic technology" to examine foods by ingredients, foundhuman DNA in 2% of the samples. 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 . Who are Really the Top Shareholders of Monsanto? But why bother with store-bought snacks when you can make healthier homemade versions, Calling All Dippers and Chippers! But thats not all. 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. Well, we. Human DNA found in the hot dogs was classified as a hygienic issue because human hair or skin dander likely got into the product during the manufacturing process, TruthOrFiction.com said the study reported. One study found that wieners, bacon and other processed meats probably contribute to cancer, and now news of this study comes out. And if this new research is in any way factual, 1.4 of your yearly hot dogs have bits of people in them. "Theres the old saying, 'You dont want to know how the sausage get made.' Basically, any food that you haven't personally grown or harvested. Major brands, including Butterball, Boar's Head, Hebrew National, Oscar Meyer, Jennie O and Trader Joe's received high marks. The Absolute Best Crackers for Healthy Snacking, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Oh, and she loves to take care of two ridiculously- spoiled cats in her free time. As for specialty picks, the study suggested Taverrite's pork sausages and vegetarian option Gardien. Veggie dogs were the worst off, accounting for 67 percent of the hygiene issues and two-thirds of the human DNA found. A spokesperson for Clear Food said that human DNA "degrades the quality of food" but is less of a public health concern. want to find out," Clear Labs Cofounder Mahni Ghorashi told Huffington Post. Human DNA in samples "is a sign of lots of touching with human hands," she told ABC News. Probably not, right? Related: The 26 Hot Dogs Every Man Must Devour. Gardein was the top specialty or regional brand. The lab does not release the names of poor-performing products it analyzes. They're still, as with most things in life, best in moderation. 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. Clear Food says its testing found human DNA in two percent of all hot dog samples. In other words, yes, your hot dogs are going to have a little human DNA on them. 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. 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. But lets say, just for the sake of argument, that Clear Labs research methods and results can be trusted. A new report, however, adds extra meaning to the phrase "you don't want to know how the sausage gets made.". That could very well leave skin cells or other DNA sources on equipment, Campbell says. I have been in numerous plants that make hot dogs and other processed meat products across this country, he told us. "Most consumers would be pleased and surprised to find out how clean and sanitary these plants are. We didnt reach out to any of the major hot dog manufacturers, because obviously they would only deny the studys findings. Hot dogs, bacon, processed meats linked to cancer. 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. Unless you also want to give up eating fruits and vegetables. Copyright2023, BlackDoctor, Inc.All rights reserved. Human DNA. Additionally, 10 percent of all vegetarian products appeared to contain meat. Clear Food reported that it found human DNA in six of the 345 samples, or 2 percent of all samples tested. 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. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ", Well, what about blood or skin? You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Wake up to the day's most important news. What percentage of grocery store fruits and vegetables have a little human DNA on them? Overall, 14.4% of the hotdogs and sausages that were tested were listed as "problematic" because of substituted or unexpected ingredients or hygienic issues. / CBS News. The human DNA found in the dogs is largely the result of hair and broken fingernails. Nearly every cell in a person's body has the same DNA. 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.). 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. What are they going to tell us? Overall, 14.4 percent of the hot dogs and sausages tested by Clear Foods were problematic, the company said. However, areport uncoveredsome startling findingson what peopleare really eating when theybite into a frankfurter. But pig anus may seem like a more appetizing option when compared with the latest hot dog accusation. Scientists may have tracked down the small percentage of DNA that might give modern humans the qualities unique to the species. Even more disturbing, 66 percent of those cases were found in vegetarian-labeled products. As in, homo sapiens. 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.". But it's definitely disconcerting news for all those who are trying to cut down or avoid eating meat products by buying vegetarian options. Oh yeah, sometimes a worker loses a finger or two in the goop vats. And most of our top guys have seriously dry skin. Samples showed chicken, beef, turkey and lamb were found in products that were not supposed to have those ingredients. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Heart Palpitations at Night: Common Causes and How to Treat, Essential Oils for Cough, Cold and Congestion, Sudden High Blood Pressure: Causes, Symptoms and Prevention Tips, Sore Throat on One Side: 7 Causes and Treatments, Natural Remedies for the Burning Sensation in Your Stomach After Eating, Hibiscus Tea: Health Benefits, Nutrition, Side Effects, and Recipes, Vegetable Oil Substitutes: 5 Healthy Alternatives for Baking, Frying, and More, How to Treat Nausea After Eating Eggs or Chicken, Diarrhea after Eating: Causes and Natural Treatments, Top 11 Homeopathic Remedies for High Blood Pressure, Heavy Breathing: Common Causes and Treatments, Pineapple Juice for Cough: Effective Homemade Cough Remedies, Pain in the Left Temple of the Head: 10 Causes and Treatments. They classified the types of issues as either substitution and hygienic. One with a hygienic issue contains non-harmful contaminants, such as human DNA. Trader Joe's is the best bet for vegetarians. It sounds horrifying. Occasionally human workers are involved in the process, but they're wearing so much protective gear you'd think they were handling plutonium. Hot dogs have never been seen as prime cuts of meat, but a new study has found human DNA in some samples. Clear Food Labs, a food analytics start-up found that 10% of vegetarian hot . If you're a hot dog lover, you may have beef with a study that finds certain varieties of hot dogs contain human DNA. 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. But it's there. Vegetarian hot dog products surprisingly fared the worst in this regard, with four out of the 21 products tested containing human DNA. 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. For non-meat eaters the results are particularly eye-opening: 10 percent of the vegetarian products tested contained meat (chicken in the veggie breakfast sausages and pork in the veggie hot dogs), and four of the 21 vegetarian samples had "hygienic issues." October 25, 2015 / 10:20 AM It did not . In addition to the human DNA, 67% of the hygienic issues detected in the samples were caused by vegetarian products. Its not like somebody found a pinkie in a Hebrew National. Study: Sustainably-Sourced Goods are KEY for Protecting Endangered Species, California Will Get Swamped by Millions of Mosquito-Killing Mosquitoes, Yellowstone Grizzly Bears Lose Federal Protection After 42 Years, 15 Health Benefits of Cucumbers: Grow Your Own Cooling Food, Ancient Medicine: Black Seed Oils 21 Powerful Health Benefits, Avocados Could be Key in Avoiding Metabolic Syndrome, Numerous Ailments, Cinnamon Could Increase Ability to Learn, Study Says, Your IBS Diet Plan 9 Dietary Tips for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. But pig anus may seem like a more appetizing option when compared with the latest hot dog accusation. 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. "Likewise, when they suggest that some products showed the presence of another species, like chicken in a beef product, this could also be from a single cell and even result from very practice of pulling samples from multiple packages in the same room as the company may have done.". NR, on the other hand, can make its way into the cell on its own. 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. 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/. What is it? Developed By, Antibiotics Could be to Blame for Skyrocketing Mental Illness Rates. But hey, customers hardly ever taste the flakes.". 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. Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National were among the major brands that received top scores from Clear Foods. .css-13y9o4w{display:block;font-family:GraphikBold,GraphikBold-fallback,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-13y9o4w:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.39461rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-13y9o4w{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.3;}}Men's Health Review: Dymatize Protein Powder, America's 7 Most Inventive Hot Dog Styles, The Best Plant-Based Chicken, Pork, and Seafood, Here's What You Need to Know About Vitamin B12. They also discovered human DNA in two percent of the samples. Likely more than 2%. Then, long links of hot dogs are cooked in a smokehouse, cooled by being passed under a. Agencies Investigating Asbestos in J&J Baby Powder, Insane: Free Drug for Debilitating Disease Leaps to $375k a Year, Barium Everywhere: Tell Congress to Stop Toxic Chemtrail Spraying, Alaska Fishermen Concerned GM Salmon Could Harm $6.4 Billion Fishing Industry. Altogether, 75 different hot dog brands from 10 different retailers were studied. What Are These Tiny Red Spots on My Skin (Petechiae)? Its not all about, about 10 Foods Thatll Have You Sleeping Like A Baby. "Imagine how many apples could test positive after being handled by half the people shopping in the grocery store," he says. 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.". This information is coming from a study by a fairly new organization thats using Kickstarter to fund much of its research. The researchers found that there were issues with more than 14% of the samples analyzed. This bizarre information came from a single document released on Oct. 17 by the consumer marketing arm of a. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. 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. And for most of the Internet, it was enough reason to go into full-on panic mode. Americans spent $2.5 billion on hot dogs, $2.74 billion on dinner sausages and more than half a billion on breakfast sausages last year, the report said. ", "Anything that's made from meat byproducts is likely to contain parts that don't pass the 'yuck' test," she added. Oaklander, M., This Could Cut Your Health Costs by $25,000 a Year, Study Finds, Time web site,October 13, 2015; http://time.com/4071897/stress-relief-healthcare-costs/. "It is unlikely that human DNA is harmful to consumer health. Kosher hot dogs were the safest choice for products containing no pork. Rachel Holt (@ItsRachelHolt) dishes what else the study found. But "people" is an ingredient most would expect limited to Soylent Green. 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.". In particular, two percent of the hot dog samples contained human DNA. The study also concludes that 10 percent of veggie dog brands tested contained meat. So, sorry, there arent any pig anuses in hot dogs. "Theres the old saying, 'You dont want to know how the sausage get made.' So what does this mean to you? Once it's inside the cell, it transforms into NMN and then to NAD+. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. "U.S. standards and labeling requirements are restrictive," says Milkowski. Apparently not too many of us do. 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. She is also the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. ", "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. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. 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.. 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. U.S. Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National received the top scores for quality hot dogs among major brands. Only one of the molecules has vitamin statusNR. That's right, human DNA. Human DNA. Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods. 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. (Supplied: University of Hasanuddin) The study was conducted by Clear Food, a consumer guide that makes its recommendations based on DNA analysis. Especially when it comes to hot dogs. A study of both meat and vegetarian hot dogs showed that they contain unadvertised ingredients - including human DNA. 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 . Men's Health Review: Dymatize Protein Powder, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Or lips. Do you really know whats in your food? We didn't reach out to any of the major hot dog manufacturers, because obviously they would only deny the study's findings. Clear Food also found other problems with the hot dogs, including mislabeled ingredients, which could raise concern among religious and vegetarian groups. Could Hibiscus Tea be Better than High Blood Pressure Drugs? Researchers for Clear Labs, a company that sets standards for food quality, looked at 345 samples of hot dogs and sausages from 75 brands and 10 retailers, assigning each brand a score up to 100 for the highest quality products.