Should Hot Dogs Have Warning Labels?

Three New Jersey residents are filing a class action lawsuit to force the makers of Nathan's, Oscar Mayer, Ball Park, Hebrew National and Sabrett franks to put warning labels on their hot dog packaging—not "WARNING: Hot dogs are revolting flesh tubes packed with lips and assholes," but "WARNING: Hot dogs increase the risk of cancer." A lawyer for the plaintiffs tells the Star-Ledger, "We view this just like the tobacco litigation. There is now a scientific consensus that processed meats are a significant cause of colorectal and other forms of cancer."

The nonprofit Cancer Project, a vegan advocacy group that's filing the lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiffs, points to a 2007 American Institute for Cancer Research report: Based on 58 scientific studies, it concludes that the daily consumption of one 50-gram serving of processed meat (about the amount in a single hot dog) increases the risk of colorectal cancer, on average, by 21 percent. About 50,000 people die each year from colorectal cancer. Of course, the American Meat Institute and the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council point to contradictory studies, like a 2004 federally funded Harvard School of Public Health study finding no link between meat and colon cancer.

The wiener industry was quick to dismiss the Cancer Project as a scary "radical" animal rights group, and a spokesperson says, "Their solution to every possible illness is vegetarianism. Their objective is to end meat consumption, period." The lawsuit asserts that processed meat contains carcinogens such as N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, which doesn't occur naturally in food. In 1987, California listed NDMA as a human carcinogen, and the plaintiffs are accusing the hot dog companies of fraud for omitting information about their products' "known risks." They also want warning labels just like cigarette packaging, which could mean we'll one day be buying tax-free hot dogs from Indian reservations.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on July 23, 2009 2:29 PM

Comments [rss]

eag123

To all you radical groups out there. Get off Americas back. You are wasting tax payers money. If I want to eat a hot dog thats my choice. To any and all judges out there. You have to be a mental idiot if you allow this case in court. Why do you waste americas tax dollars on lawsuits like this. To me this no better than the idiot woman who sued McDonalds cause she didn't the coffee was hot. Again I'll say to all the radical groups out there. GET OFF AMERICAS BACK!!! GROW UP!!! YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE YOUR WAY AND I'LL LIVE MINE MY WAY WITHOUT SOME IDIOT TELLING ME SOMETHING IS BAD FOR ME OR "HOT"

Spirit of 76

Let's send these NJ residents to put a label on the sun which says sunlight can cause malignant melanoma. When's the next space shuttle launch?

NannyState

"Warning: Lips and assholes cause cancer."

whitecastlerock

Let's put warning labels on everything-just so all of the bases are covered. Scott toilet tissue may cause dingle berries which can lead to smelly assholes and skidmarks. Poland Spring water consumption may cause hiccups,frequent urination, choking and or death. Light bulbs can cause blindness. Knives may cause cuts or death... The lists could go on and on... These New Jersey residents have colorectal problems because their heads are shoved too far up their respective rectums. Fuck them in their colorectal passageways

chrissederstrom

my grandpa died from years of eating vienna sausages. eventually his inferior vena cava just blew off and you could see his heart pumping blood out into his abdomen when the paramedics cut the shirt away. really interesting way to go. i admit, they taste great, and i actually bought him a couple of cans as an xmas present a few years back.

Matt Joyce

That may be the most gruesome vienna sausage related death I've ever heard of.

JMH

OK, so that study says that if you eat a hot dog every day, your risk of colorectal cancer is increased significantly. What if you eat, like, ten hot dogs a year?

JMH

That may be the ONLY Vienna sausage-related death I've ever heard of.

ed_Extinct

More importantly, people should have warning labels.

spiritross

What Simpsons episode is that picture from?

hotstepper

dear vegans,

nobody cares. but thanks for coming out.

hoolsa

The FDA should demand cancer warning labels on aspartame before they even think about messing with hot dogs. Oh, wait, I forgot that Searle has them by the balls. Hebrew National, it's time to pull your hair back and get on your knees!

yytttt

also soy beans cause global warming (methane...)

Aveais Essex

"See? Because of me, now they have a warning."

jibbly

WIN!

PinkoCommie

Whomever is eating this much processed meat A DAY needs to reevaluate their diets. This is the same crap that people tried to pull against fast food companies, claiming they made people fat. You are fat because you eat 7 hots dogs a week, 365 days a year. Gross!

Steven

Like everything we need eat it in moderation. Eating one hot a dog is not going to kill a person. More so most people eat hot dogs more often during the summer months.

keepdiscoevil

Who are you and what planet are you from? Yargalaxx-10?

PKinNYC

I guess I am now just realizing that 95% of Gothamist News is in the Post. It's getting really tedious.

Comic Book Guy

Psst... All media outlets cover many of the same big stories on any given day. If you prefer the comPost, read the comPost. (www.nypost.com) But it's really pitiful to come here and comment about it. Unless you're Rupert Murdoch.