Hot Dogs

For Fourth of July, I had a little get together at my house.  Just a small thing with a few family members.  We had the usual foods, including hot dogs.  This sparked a conversation about hot dogs and this stuff called nitrates that were found in a lot of hot dogs that was supposedly harmful.  I had noticed that some of the labels on hot dogs stated that they were "nitrate free", so I had assumed that there was something about these nitrates that had sprung some debate.  I don't typically buy hot dogs because I don't know where to even buy organic ones and for the most part, they gross me out.  But, one can't deny that on special occasions, a regular old hot dog is pretty good.  Especially with the horrible Doritos we had with them.  So good though.  Oh, and the Coors Light.  It was a night of letting go and ingesting those chemicals like a true American would.

So.  Anyways.  Got off subject a little bit.  So what about these nitrates?  I looked in to it and found out exactly what nitrates were and why they certainly do not appear good for our health.  Nitrates are actually a normally occurring compound in plants(like vegetables we eat).  These nitrates turn in to nitrites when they are exposed to bacteria.  These naturally occurring nitrates are a lot different when they are found in vegetables as opposed to when they are introduced artificially in to hot dogs.  Nitrates from vegetables are a lot different than the artificial ways that companies are putting them in to hot dogs, using sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite.

Nitrates are put in to hot dogs as a preserving agent, to give the hot dogs the pink color and to keep botulism at bay.  They are also used to give the meat the flavor that people are accustomed to.  Oh, you know, that unnatural flavor that we all love so much! ;)

The problem with nitrates.  Well, when combined with the meat, the nitrates are combined with amines(naturally found in meat), which cause a carcinogen called N-nitroso to form.  This carcinogenic compound is linked to cancer and all sorts of other not so fun health risks. 

So, there you have it.  Glad I know what this whole nitrate/nitrite deal is about.  Now you know too, if you didn't already know before.  Hopefully we all look for the nitrate and nitrite free hot dogs next time we go to the store.