Course:FNH200/Projects/2025/Hot dogs

History of hot dogs

Since the first sausages were created in ancient Rome by packing meat into intestines, the hot dog's history dates back thousands of years. This custom became particularly well-liked in Germany and Austria as it expanded throughout Europe. Frankfurt and Vienna gained notoriety for their respective pork and beef blends, known as frankfurters and wieners.

Sausage arrived in the United States in the 1800s thanks to German immigration. The first hot dog was created by New York vendors who started selling them in rolls. It gained popularity in 1871 when Charles Feltman sold sausages in buns at Coney Island. Nathan Handwerker established Nathan's Famous after opening a stand nearby in 1916 and selling less expensive hot dogs.

It is thought that the term "hot dog" first appeared in the late 1800s, most likely as a jest about the dubious ingredients in sausages. People at the time joked that dog meat might be used because sausages were occasionally produced using inferior meats. The term remained, in part because of its catchy sound and in part because German immigrants frequently referred to the sausages as "dachshund sausages", a reference to their long, dog-like shape, even though the notion is untrue.

A man called Harry Stevens played a major role in the development of the custom that hot dogs were a mainstay at baseball games by the early 1900s. Prominent concessionaire Stevens recognized the opportunity to satisfy hungry baseball fans with hot sausages in buns. Hot dogs were perfect for packed athletic events because they could be had quickly and without utensils, unlike many other dishes. They quickly gained popularity due to their flavour and price, and they quickly became deeply ingrained in American summertime leisure culture. As famous as the game itself was the picture of a spectator in the stands, chowing down on a hot dog.

Different regions created their own versions. Chicago dogs are topped with mustard, onions, relish, tomato, a pickle, and more. New Yorkers prefer sauerkraut and mustard. Detroit has the chili-covered Coney dog, Seattle adds cream cheese, and Arizona’s Sonoran dog is wrapped in bacon .

Today, hot dogs are a big part of American food culture. They are served at cookouts, fairs, and especially on the Fourth of July, when Americans eat over 150 million of them. What started as a simple sausage is now one of the country’s most iconic foods.

Ingredients

Hot dogs are made using a variety of recipes, each with its own combination of ingredients that create unique flavours and textures. These recipes often include different spices, flavourings, preservatives, binders, and additives that work together to give hot dogs their signature taste and consistency.

Here are the most common ingredients found in hot dogs and their purposes:

Meat Ingredients

Ingredient	Use
Beef and Pork	Finely ground cuts of meat, usually from steaks, roasts, or larger pork cuts. Organ meats are rarely used, and if they are, they must be clearly labeled.
Mechanically Separated Chicken or Turkey	Meat mechanically removed from poultry bones. It contains slightly more calcium and must be labeled accordingly.
Beef Stock	Made by simmering beef bones in water to enhance meaty flavour.

Binders, Fillers and Texture Enhancers

Ingredient	Use
Soy Protein Concentrate	Improves texture and supports lower-fat formulations.
Modified Food Starch	A thickener that provides a consistent texture, usually made from corn, wheat, or potatoes.
Maltodextrin	A corn-based carbohydrate that helps distribute flavor evenly.
Sorbitol	A sugar substitute naturally found in fruits and sometimes made from corn syrup.

Flavouring Ingredients

Ingredient	Use
Spices	Includes red, white, and black pepper, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, paprika, and allspice.
Flavoring	Concentrated extracts from herbs, spices, or vegetables.
Garlic Puree	Crushed garlic used for stronger flavor.
Yeast Extract and Autolyzed Yeast Extract	Add a savory, umami taste.
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein	A flavor enhancer made from soy, wheat, or corn.
Oleoresin of Paprika	Natural red coloring and flavor from red peppers.
Smoke Flavoring	A condensed smoke used to give a smoky taste without grilling.

Preservatives and Safety Ingredients

Ingredient	Use
Sodium Nitrite	Cures the meat, gives it its pink color, and protects against harmful bacteria like botulism.
Ascorbic Acid / Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C)	Speeds up the curing process and prevents the formation of harmful compounds.
Sodium Erythorbate	A curing aid similar to Vitamin C, often used with sodium nitrite.
Celery Powder	A natural source of nitrite, often used in “uncured” hot dogs.
Cherry Powder	Provides Vitamin C and helps stabilize color.
Lactate / Diacetate	Help prevent bacterial growth and extend shelf life.
Lauric Arginate	A natural compound that also helps prevent bacterial contamination.
Citric Acid	Maintains safe acidity levels and acts as a preservative.
Salt	Enhances flavor, preserves meat, and contributes to texture.

Sweeteners

Ingredient	Use
Sugar and Corn Syrup	Add sweetness and help browning.
Dextrose	A natural sugar that enhances flavor and color.

Casings

Ingredient	Use
Natural Sheep Casing	Made from cleaned lamb intestines, giving hot dogs a traditional “snap” when bitten.
Collagen Casing	An edible alternative made from beef proteins, often used in skinless hot dogs.

Other Ingredients

Ingredient	Use
Water	Mixed with meat and spices to help blend everything smoothly.
Phosphates	Help hot dogs stay juicy and prevent unwanted fat flavors.

Processing

Preparing hot dogs is a simple yet rewarding process that combines ground meat, seasonings, and sometimes fillers into a flavourful mixture that is encased and ready to cook. It involves mechanical and biomechanical transformation of these meats and seasonings to produce links of hot dogs that have enhanced flavour and texture, and also improves microbial stability and shelf life.

1. Meat Preparation Selected trimmings of meat is inspected and afterwards, it is mixed with spices, curing agents, and ice. A high-speed, stainless steel chopper blends the meat to form an emulsion or smooth batter. Usually, the ingredients include salt, which increases the solute concentration in the meat, drawing water out of microbial cells in the meat. This dehydration creates an environment that's inhospitable for spoilage-causing microbes.

2. 

   How hot dogs are processed

   Stuffing and Linking The emulsion/batter is pumped and fed into a stuffer. Shirred strands of cellulose casings are mechanically positioned on the stuffing horn. As the emulsion flows through the machine into the casing, the strands that are filled are now linked into hot dogs of the exact size, which are called links. The strand is then put on a smokehouse conveyor system. This encasing also acts as a barrier since it limits the penetration of oxygen and other moisture. This also helps with shelf life extension.
3. Cooking The linked hot dogs are cooked in smokehouses, where they develop flavour. They are cooked under controlled temperature and humidity so that they are hard-wood smoked until they are ready to eat. This smoking process reduces water activity even further, which can improve shelf life and adds antimicrobial compounds.
4. Cooling and Peeling After the smoking process, the hot dogs are cooled in water, and if cellulose casings are used, they are peeled off. Natural casings are left on.
5. Packaging Hot dogs are vacuum-sealed in plastic to protect the freshness and flavour. Then, it is labelled with branding and dates, which are later boxed.
6. Shipping Finished hot dogs are placed on pallets and delivered to stores in refrigerated trucks.

Packaging and labelling requirements

In Canada, hot dog packaging and labelling must adhere to specific regulations to ensure accuracy and consumer safety. Key requirements include bilingual labelling (English and French), clear product identity, net quantity, dealer's name and principal place of business, and a list of ingredients including allergens. Date markings, storage instructions, and country of origin is also mandatory.

Safety regulations/Health concerns

While there are no specific regulations targeting hot dogs alone in Canada, they are subject to general food safety standards. Hot dogs may be made from beef, pork, poultry, or a combination, as long as the specified meats used are listed on the label. As for cooking standards, they must be cooked internally to a temperature of 74 degrees celsius to ensure they are safe to eat. Spreading juices from the hot dog packages onto other foods, dishes, or utensils should be avoided.

Health Canada highlights the "clean, separate, cook and chill" principles to prevent foodborne illnesses. This includes washing hands and surfaces often, avoiding cross-contamination and cooking food thoroughly.

Hot dogs are ultra-processed foods, and a high consumption high-processed meats has been linked to increase risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and certain types of cancer.

Potential exam question

What is the difference between 'cured' and 'uncured' hot dogs?

When researching the ingredients and processing techniques of hot dogs you might encounter the terms ‘cured’ and ‘uncured,’ but what does this actually mean?

The term ‘cured’ refers to the preservation of a food by means of salting, drying, or smoking. This is usually done by using synthetic nitrites. A commonly used curing agent called sodium nitrite is added to hot dogs and other meat products to help in the curing process, and it helps enhance the flavour and colour of the meat . On the other hand, the term ‘uncured’ does not mean that the meat is not preserved, but rather the meat is preserved using only natural products. Some common natural ingredients that are used in the preservation of ‘uncured’ meat are celery powder or sea salt. Uncured meat does not contain any synthetic or non-natural curing ingredients

Which of the following might be used as a curing agent to help preserve 'uncured' meat?

A. Sodium nitrite

B. Maltodextrin

C. Phosphates

D. Celery powder

(Answer: D)