Hot Dogs and Food Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2009

Most of us have eaten a raw hot dog without giving a thought to whether it was safe or not, says Shirley Camp, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator. Today, with all of the concern about food safety, you may want to rethink eating the hot dog right out of the package.

No matter whether you call it a frankfurter, hot dog, wiener or bologna, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), it is a cooked sausage. These products can be made from beef, pork, chicken, turkey or a combination of these meats—the label will tell you what your purchase is made from. There are also federal standards of identity as to the content of these products.

Most of these "sausages" come with a date on the package. The product dating is voluntary and is not required. If a date is used, the package must state what the date means. Here are some examples of dates: Sell-By tells the store how long to display the product, Use-By is the last date recommended for use or the product, Best if Used By (or Before) helps the consumer know the date for best flavor and quality and Expiration Date states the shelf-life or the last day the product should be used.

Even though all hot dogs are thoroughly cooked, FSIS says that consumers should always reheat them before eating. Camp says for safety, use a food thermometer to make sure they reach 165° F or are steamy hot throughout.

Research shows that hot dogs may have high levels of the bacteria Listeria. Individuals who are at risk such as pregnant women, nursing mothers, small children and the elderly, may want to forgo the hot dogs unless they are reheated and steamy hot.

When you purchase hot dogs, take them home and refrigerate or freeze them immediately. If the product is not dated, unopened hot dogs can be safely stored in the refrigerator for two weeks. Once they are opened, keep them only one week. Hot dogs may be frozen for one or two months—longer freezing affects their quality.

Source: Shirley Camp, MS RD, Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness, scamp@illinois.edu