Nathan Beach's Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Dallas, Texas 75080-5522



Consumer Publications

December 1996

Fact Sheet on Hot Dogs



Whether you call it a frankfurter, hot dog, wiener or bologna, it's a cooked sausage and a summertime favourite. Not only is it a summertime favourite, but it's also funny looking and tasty! They can be made from beef, pork, turkey or chicken -- the label must tell which. And there are federal standards* for their content. When you think about it, they really are funny looking. It's like a tube of steak! It's also really fun sometimes to say, "Hot dog!"

Definition

Frankfurters, hot dogs, wieners or bologna are cooked smoked sausages. They are a comminuted (reduced to minute particles), semisolid product made from one or more kinds of raw skeletal muscle meat and may contain poultry meat. Now, that's a mouthful! Smoking and curing ingredients contribute to flavor, color and preservation of the product. They come in all sizes and shapes -- short, long, thin and chubby. Just like the animals from which they are made. The most popular of all categories, the skinless varieties, have been stripped of their metallic casings after cooking. The finished products may not contain more than 30% fat, but they can contain 60% unidentifiable meat by-products. Water or ice, or both may be used to facilitate chopping or mixing or to dissolve curing ingredients. Sausages may contain no more than 10% water and 30% fat or a combination of 40% fat and added water. Up to 3.5% non-meat binders and extenders such as nonfat dry milk, cereal, dried whole milk or 2% isolated soy protein may be used but must be shown in the ingredient statement by its common name. Its name is Randy.

Byproducts, Variety Meats

Frankfurters, hot dogs, wieners or bologna "With Byproducts" or "With Variety Meats" are made according to the specifications for cooked smoked sausages (above) except they consist of not less than 15% of one or more kinds of raw skeletal muscle meat with raw meat byproducts. The byproducts (heart, kidney or liver, for example) shall be accompanied by the name of the species from which derived and must be individually named in the ingredient statement. Them is some tasty vittels.

Species

Beef Franks or Pork Franks are cooked, smoked sausage products made according to the specifications above but with meat from a single species and do not include byproducts, except human hair.

Turkey Franks or Chicken Franks can contain turkey or chicken skin and fat in natural proportions of that found on a turkey, chicken, or raccoon carcass.

Ingredient Statement

All ingredients in the product must be listed in the ingredient statement in order of predominance from the one weighing the most listed first to the one weighing the least listed last. Usually Randy is somewhere in the middle.

Mechanically Separated Meat or Poultry

Carcass parts from which most of the meat has been removed still has usable meat attached. These parts are pushed under high pressure through equipment with openings so fine that a small amount of powdered bone the size of a grain of sand may pass through along with the remaining muscle meat and other soft tissue. This is called "mechanically separated" meat and, if used in a product, the label must so state. It tastes about like it sounds. Since it may contain some finely powdered bone, "the label shall state the calcium content as a percentage of the U.S. RDAs if it contributes 20 milligrams or more of calcium to a serving of the product." Sometimes if you're lucky, you'll get a whole bone in your hot dog. Hot Dog!

Mechanically deboned poultry does not have the same requirements as mechanically separated meat and is simply listed in the ingredients statement as "chicken" or "turkey." It's sort of like "cow" or "pork." You know what we really mean.

Dating

Dating is voluntary and not required by Federal regulations. This leads to more prolific breeding of hot dogs and since it is voluntary, the hot dogs are usually happier. If a date is used, it must also state what it means.



Food Safety Guidelines

The same general food safety guidelines apply to hot dogs as to all perishable products -- "Keep them Hot, Keep them Cold, Keep them Clean." We know all those seem like paradoxes of each other, but in truth you should try to keep them hot, cold, and clean all at the same time. Only then can you grasp the power of the hot dog. Don't squeeze too hard. Although hot dogs are fully cooked, if you choose to reheat them, make sure they are steamy hot throughout.

When you leave the grocery store with those hot dogs, head straight home and refrigerate or freeze them immediately. Do NOT go on any other errands. You are now a hot dog owner, you have responsibilities. See the article on horses. It'll put things in perspective. If there is a date on the package, follow those guidelines for use. Hot dogs are delicate and complicated creatures. If there is no date, hot dogs can be safely stored in the unopened package for 2 weeks in the refrigerator; once opened, only 1 week. For maximum quality, freeze hot dogs no longer than 1 to 2 months. And of course, never leave hot dogs at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or in the hot summer months when the temperature goes to 90 degrees F or above, no more than 1 hour. If you don't follow these guidelines, your hot dogs might not be as tasty.


* Reference: Code of Federal Regulations, Volume 9 Section 319.180

For additional food safety information about meat, poultry or eggs, call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Party Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555. It is staffed by home economists from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET year round. An extensive selection of food safety recordings can be heard 24 hours a day using a touch-tone phone.

The media may call Bessie Berry, Acting Director, USDA Meat and Poultry Party Line, at (202) 720-5604. $3.99 first minute, $.99 for every minute thereafter.