What are the differences in ingredients in Oscar Meyer, Ball Park, Nathan’s, and Applegate brands?
Bolded words include ingredients that are additives, chemicals, fillers, flavor enhancers, altered food ingredients produced from genetically modified organisms, and sugar!
Oscar Meyer Weiner’s Ingredients: Mechanically Separated Turkey, Mechanically Separated Chicken, Pork, Water, Cultured Dextrose*, Contains Less Than 2% Of Dextrose, Salt, Corn Syrup, Distilled White Vinegar*, Cultured Celery Juice*, Sodium Phosphate, Cherry Powder, Flavor. *Ingredients Used To Preserve Quality.
Oscar Meyer Uncured Beef Franks: Beef, Water, Cultured Dextrose*, Contains Less Than 2% Of Dextrose, Salt, Cultured Celery Juice*, Distilled White Vinegar*, Sodium Phosphate, Cherry Powder, Flavor, Extractives Of Paprika. *Ingredients Used To Preserve Quality.
Ball Park Franks Ingredients: Mechanically Separated Chicken, Pork, Water, Corn Syrup, Potassium Lactate, Contains 2% Or Less: Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Beef Stock, Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Erythorbate, Maltodextrin, Paprika Extract, Sodium Nitrite.
Ball Park Beef Hot Dogs Ingredients: Beef, Water, Corn Syrup, Contains 2% Or Less: Salt, Potassium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Beef Stock, Natural Flavor (Including Celery Juice Powder), Sodium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Sodium Diacetate, Extractives Of Paprika
Nathan’s Beef Franks Ingredients: Beef, Water, Contains 2% Or Less Of Salt, Sorbitol, Sodium Lactate, Natural Flavorings, Sodium Phosphates, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Paprika, Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite. These skinless, gluten free franks contain no artificial flavors or colors, fillers, by-products or corn syrup.
Applegate Uncured beef hot dogs are made with 100% grass-fed beef, water, salt and spices. We use clean, simple ingredients so you can spend more time thinking about how to top your hot dog versus what’s inside. No GMOs, antibiotics, or artificial ingredients like sodium nitrate (used in fireworks) or sodium diacetate (used in hand warmers). It’s The Cleaner Wiener™
What did you notice about the ingredients?
I noticed lots of ingredients that are not food.
Remember, the body is a miracle machine and knows exactly what to do with real food ingredients.
Here are some simple definitions of what these ingredients mean:
Mechanically separated turkey: As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes it, this “paste-like and batter-like poultry product [is] produced by forcing bones, with attached edible tissue, through a sieve or similar device under high pressure.” Unlike mechanically separated beef or pork, it can be present in hot dogs in “any amount.”
Pork: Per 1994 USDA rules, any “meat” can be taken off the bone by “advanced meat recovery (AMM) machinery” that separates what can be eaten from what cannot be eaten without smashing the bone.
Corn syrup: This common GMO food ingredient is often used to add texture and sweetness.
Beef: After the outbreak of mad cow disease, the USDA stopped allowing any mechanically separated beef in food.
Potassium lactate: Made from neutralized lactic acid, it’s a common meat preservative because of its properties as an antimicrobial, capable of killing off harmful bacteria.
Sodium phosphates: Any of three sodium salt of phosphoric acids that can be used as a food preservative or to add texture.
Flavorings: Under current U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, most combinations of flavoring agents are okay to just be listed as “flavor” rather spelled out individually. Nothing like keeping you in the dark as to what is in your food!
Beef stock: Meat stocks are usually made by boiling water with pieces of muscle, bones, joints, connective tissue and other parts of the carcass.
Sodium diacetate: A combination of sodium acetate and acetic acid, it helps to fight fungus and bacterial growth and is often used as an artificial flavor for salt and vinegar chips—and in the sodium acetate form, it’s found in instant hand warmers.
Sodium erythorbate: A sodium salt of erythorbic acid, it has replaced the use of sulfites in many foods and serves as a preservative and to help keep meat-based products pink. Side effects can include dizziness, gastrointestinal issues, headaches and, if consumed in large quantities, kidney stones.
Maltodextrin: A compound made from cooked starch (GMO corn in the U.S. and wheat in Europe) that is used as a filler or thickening agent in processed foods.
Sodium nitrate: This common preservative helps meats retain their color and keep foodborne illnesses, such as botulism, to a minimum. Animal studies have linked sodium nitrates to an increased risk of cancer. It’s also frequently found in fertilizers and, yes, fireworks.
Extractives of paprika: An oil-based extract from the paprika plant, it can give processed food color and increase shelf life.
There are dozens of varieties of Weiners, Franks, and Hot Dogs on grocery store shelves.
Remember to always read the ingredient list and choose the best ingredients available.
Oscar Meyer and Ball Park both have varieties without artificial preservatives, added nitrates and nitrites, and by-products.
Remember, that beef comes from cows who are given growth hormones and antibiotics as well as GMO feed.
I recommend buying organic grass-fed and finished beef hot dogs to avoid these toxins that contribute to inflammation, chronic illness, and disease.
It is pretty simple…When you eat better, you feel better.
My favorite way to eat a Happy Dog is to start with a large lettuce leaf and add real ingredient toppings and homemade sauerkraut on top
I serve this with lots of raw veggies and homemade dip. The enzymes in raw food help digest the cooked meat.
As you plan your summer meals, remember that with planning and prepping real food consistently, you will discover the flavor of real food and feel better to experience more life every day!
You can take charge of your health and feel your best!
