Clear Food took a look at hundreds of hot dogs and sausages from 75 different brands sold at 10 different retailers.
According to Clear Food’s report, 14 percent had hygienic or substitution issues. Substitution means that ingredients were added to the hot dogs or sausages, but they were not shown on the label, while hygienic issues happen when the hot dog contains a non-harmful contaminant.
Out of the samples Clear Food examined, human DNA was found in 2 percent of them, and human DNA was found in two-thirds of the vegetarian samples.
Clear Food found that 10 percent of all vegetarian hot dogs contained some sort of meat. For example, some of the hot dogs that were examined were labeled as pork-free, but they actually contained pork. Others contained beef, lamb or chicken, even though they were not listed as one of the ingredients on the label.
The report said that meat in vegetarian products was troubling because many vegetarians stay away from meat for reasons such as religion and ethical reasons.
There were some positive notes included in the report. Clear Food noted that even though they found a few issues, they did find that there were a number of hot dog manufacturers that produce high-quality hot dogs. The manufacturers were not limited to organic producers or high-end brands.
