Hot dogs under scrutiny: Are they safe to eat raw?

Let's start by saying that a hot dog is not created equal. On store shelves, you can find high-quality products made from meat and spices and those filled with chemicals, glucose, and preservatives with hardly any real meat. Although the market has responded to consumer interest in better-quality products, it's still worth checking the ingredients before putting hot dogs in your cart.

Firstly, good quality hot dogs should not be too cheap. Unfortunately, a low price often means poor quality. The most important thing is the ingredients list. They should contain as much meat as possible, at least 90 percent. If the list includes MSM (mechanically separated meat), preservatives, and artificial flavour enhancers, it's better to leave those hot dogs in the store. The shorter the ingredients list, the better, tastier, and healthier.

Although finding hot dogs with a suitable ingredient list isn't very challenging and can be found in almost all chain stores, it's still worth remembering that this is a heavily processed product and should be considered recreational rather than a regular part of the diet.

With hot dogs chosen and waiting in the fridge, it’s time to prepare them properly. Since they are already processed, it may seem sufficient to simply remove them from the packaging, remove any casing, and eat them. In the daily rush, not everyone wants to cook them in a pot.

However, it turns out this is not the best solution. Dietitians warn against eating hot dogs raw.

Better not to do it. The FDA, or the United States Food and Drug Administration, advises against eating hot dogs without prior heating. Hot dogs can be contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, which causes a disease called listeriosis, explains clinical dietitian Anna Jedrej

The dietitian also emphasizes that she does not encourage their consumption. The comments section has sparked a debate.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that individuals within the high-risk group for contracting listeriosis heat hot dogs before consumption, even if they are fully cooked.

Listeria monocytogenes naturally occurs in the environment, including in soil and water. It can also be found in animals' gastrointestinal tracts. It contaminates meat products like hot dogs, minced meats, or sausages. People with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, newborns, and the elderly are more susceptible to listeriosis. For them, the disease can take a more severe course and even lead to sepsis and meningitis.