Frankfurters are known to be unhealthy and there are numerous reasons for this. They are loaded with flavorings, preservatives, colors and other chemicals. But we must admit that they are hard to resist. Their meaty taste and firm texture are really attractive.
We don’t need to give up hot dogs entirely but rather limit our consumption and choose what type of frankfurter we consume. The question now is: Which ones are healthier- Red hot dogs or brown hot dogs?
Find out what ingredients are used in the production of red and brown hot dogs according to the Scientific American blog.
Mechanically separated turkey – this product is made of poultry bones (with attached edible tissue) not from poultry meat. The bones are put under high pressure to become a paste-like and batter-like poultry product- claims USDA.
Pork -you can be sure that you’re really consuming pork meat –without smashed bones – as per 1994 USDA rules.
Water – All hot dogs contain less than 10% water in order to create that paste-like consistency.
Corn Syrup – This is not high-fructose corn syrup, which is linked to some health concerns, and this ingredient improves the texture and sweetness of hot dogs.
Salt – Frankfurters have about 20 percent salt
Potassium lactate – A common meat preservative as it is capable of killing harmful bacteria.
Sodium phosphates –It is usually added to improve the texture and sometimes as a food preservative.
Beef stock – Joints, muscles, connective tissues, bones, and other parts are boiled with water to make hot dog taste more like meat.
Sodium diacetate – It is used against fungus and bacterial growth.
Maltodextrin – This compound is prepared from cooked starch and is used for thickening.
So, brown and red hot dogs are prepared from the same ingredients so we can say that they are actually the same. But they differ in only one ingredient- Sodium erythorbate. This is commonly used in red hot dogs to make the meat pink. Health studies have proven that it has some side effects like headaches, dizziness and gastrointestinal problems. If it is consumed often, it can cause kidney stones.
Takeaway
However, excessive consumption of both, red and brown hot dogs is not healthy.
