HUMAN DNA IN HOT DOGS; Traces are found in 'world's original mystery meat'.

Byline: MARTIN BAGOT

A SHOCKING one in every 50 hot dogs contains human DNA, according to research.

Traces were also found in two thirds of vegetarian samples - with 10% of the veggie products appearing to contain meat.

The humans DNA could have found its way into the food in the form of saliva or other bodily fluids during the mashing and processing on the production line.

The research of major US brands also claimed 14.4% of the frankfurters contained "problematic ingredients", meats or products not listed in the ingredients.

Testing company Clear Food used "genomic technology" to examine foods by ingredients, analysing 345 hot dogs and sausages from 75 US brands at 10 retailers It found that meat substitution was commonplace with pork added in 3% of samples including sausages sold as chicken or turkey.

The report said: "Sausages are the world's original 'mystery meat' and hot dogs have always provoked ingredient anxiety.

"In mid-19th century America rumours circulated that some butchers made inexpensive, frankfurter-style sausages with ground dog meat. This might explain how the hot dog got its name."

Hot dogs are processed using meat trimmings, spices and other ingredients that are blended into an emulsification and routed to automatic stuffers. These pump the emulsified mixture into casings to be cooked in a smokehouse.

In Europe, a similar technique is used - and there are a handful of manufacturers in the UK.

martin.bagot@mirror.co.uk

HISTORY

THE modern hot dog - or frankfurter - can be traced back to the 15th century.

The boiled sausage of smoked pork encased in mutton intestine celebrated its 500th anniversary in the German city of Frankfurt in 1987.

German migrants introduced them to the US and by the 1890s the hot dog had become a firm American favourite.

They are so popular President Franklin D. Roosevelt served them to King George VI during a visit the States in 1939.

669 The world's longest meat hot dog, made in Paraguay in 2011

62 Matt 'Megatoad' Stonie ate that many in 10min to become world champ

16BN The number of hot dogs consumed in America each year

CAPTION(S):

FAVOURITE Staple fare in the US

FRANKENFURTER Fears about hot dogs date to mid-19th century in US