What Are Grocery Store Hot Dogs Actually Made Of?

Ah, the hot dog. It evokes fond memories of summertime cookouts, the start of baseball season, and Labor Day celebrations. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, we apparently have a food council for everything), Americans gobble down 20 billion hot dogs a year. That's about 60 hot dogs per person. But have you ever stopped to wonder what exactly is in that cured meat sausage? The answer is not as scary as it seems, but it's certainly not for the squeamish. Let's work our way from the cheapest grocery store hot dogs to the best quality. 

The most basic hot dog is made out of mechanically separated meat — it could be chicken, pork, or turkey, but never beef. Because of concerns about mad cow disease, mechanically separated beef is considered inedible and is prohibited for use as human food. For instance, Oscar Meyer's top three ingredients are mechanically separated chicken, turkey, and pork. This process involves leftover skeletal muscle tissues that are squeezed into a creamy paste by a high pressure sieve that also removes the bones (this is also how chicken nuggets are made). To achieve the desired texture and flavor, a certain amount of fat is added, but this is actually carefully regulated, as the USDA requires that hot dogs contain no more than 30% fat by weight, and no more than 10% water. Seasoning and spices vary by brand, but salt, garlic, paprika, mustard, coriander, and nutmeg are all common ingredients. 

Filler is common in cheaper hot dogs, and it can range from bread crumbs to starch to dried milk. Premium brands usually shun these additives. Preservatives, like the oft-maligned nitrites and nitrates, are often added to preserve the meat, enhance its pink color, and prevent bacterial growth. The hot dogs are then stuffed into natural casings (cleaned animal intestines), which give it that nice "snap" when you bite into one. Synthetic casings, often made from collagen or cellulose, also exist (though cellulose casings must be removed before consumption). From there they are cooked, smoked, or steamed before being packaged and sent to consumers.

When it comes to premium hot dog brands, Hebrew National, New York City food cart favorite Sabrett, and Chicago institution Vienna Beef all contain 100% beef and no fillers. If you're feeling queasy about the mechanically separated poultry in cheaper hot dogs, stick with the aforementioned brands. Some non-premium hot dogs also contain "variety meats" or "byproducts," which are euphemisms for organs, skin, and feet. Like the old joke goes, every part of the pig is used to make hot dogs except for the squeal. With the recent health concerns about nitrates, many brands now offer "uncured" hot dogs which rely on naturally occurring nitrates from celery juice and sea salt. No matter your sausage preference, we're lucky to be living in the Golden Age of Hot Dogs, where there's a style and taste for just about everyone.