Human DNA Found In 66% Of Vegetarian Hot Dogs

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: USA Today, via Joe.My.God



October 26, 2015 Uncategorized

News sites are blowing up today with the latest linking of processed meat consumption and cancer rates, but THIS story is far more intriguing. Via USA Today:

Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods. However, a report uncovers some startling findings on what people are really eating when they bite into a frankfurter. Clear Food analyzed 345 hot dogs and sausages from 75 different brands sold at 10 retailers and found that 14% had hygienic or substitution issues, according to the report. (Substitution means when ingredients are added to the product that are not displayed on the label and hygienic issues happen when a “non-harmful contaminant is introduced to the hot dog.”) The online food guide, which uses “genomic technology” to examine foods by ingredients, found human DNA in 2% of the samples, and in two-thirds of the vegetarian samples.”

It’s not clear what the source of the human DNA might be. More from CNN:

Clear Foods is a company that “translates quantifiable molecular tests into actionable food data insights,” according to its website. In English, that means it uses genetic sequencing to figure out just what’s in your lunch. Its results on hot dogs aren’t always comforting. Overall, the company found nutritional label inaccuracies, pork substitution and some unexpected ingredients, including chicken and lamb. On the other hand, Clear gave high marks to a variety of manufacturers, both national and regional. Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National led among national brands, each with a score of 96 out of 100, based on Clear’s formula.

Read more: http://www.joemygod.com/2015/10/26/human-dna-found-in-66-of-vegetarian-hot-dogs/

---

It's probably just from handling them, don't you think? I mean, isn't it?

Anyway, now you know what to hand out for Halloween.

Coming up (I'll say) on the late news: World Health Organization changes course; decides a diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is bad for you. Film at eleven.

Report: Human DNA found in hot dogs

USA Today Network Jessica Durando, USA TODAY Network 10:43 a.m. EDT October 26, 2015

Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods. ... However, a report uncovers some startling findings on what people are really eating when they bite into a frankfurter.

Clear Food analyzed 345 hot dogs and sausages from 75 different brands sold at 10 retailers and found that 14% had hygienic or substitution issues, according to the report.

(Substitution means when ingredients are added to the product that are not displayed on the label and hygienic issues happen when a "non-harmful contaminant is introduced to the hot dog.&quot

The online food guide, which uses "genomic technology" to examine foods by ingredients, found human DNA in 2% of the samples, and in two-thirds of the vegetarian samples."

Full disclosure: even I have put a pack of half-smokes back on the shelf after reading the list of ingredients. Fortunately, a higher-priced brand had a less-alarming group of ingredients.

And I just love scrapple, though I haven't had any in years. Every time I get the urge, I go over the list of ingredients, and I end up putting the package back on the shelf.

Ingredients

Pork Stock, Pork Livers, Pork Fat, Pork Snouts, Corn Meal, Pork Hearts, Wheat Flour, Salt, Spices.

[roamer65]

1. They've found Jimmy Hoffa.

[PeoViejo]

23. Just little bits that were stuck to the Meat Grinder

The rest went through the Treatment Plant long ago.

[uawchild]

2. woah woah woah

Shades of the Sopranos and the Satriales' sausage making / body disposal episode!


"I don't know, Tone --- it just tastes funny."

[central scrutinizer]

19. Deadwood Brand Ham

Swearingen endorsed!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

52. That's just gross!

[Liberalagogo]

3. Coming soon.....

[PatrynXX]

4. well maybe they mixed up

shit burgers with whatever in hot dogs (blame japan)

[upaloopa]

5. Then don't eat them. We are in control of what we eat.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

6. "It’s not clear what the source of the human DNA might be"

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. That was my first thought.

[m-lekktor]

9. LOL! nt

[riversedge]

10. nah. meat cutters lose lots of fingers on the job.

[Auggie]

13. All it takes is one disgruntled employee. I heard a story of chewing tobacco worker,

who once pooped in the flavoring vat.

[frizzled]

24. It's a fact that a chemical that makes poop stinky is used to flavor icecream.

Skatole, to be precise. Maybe the tobacco turned out smelling like flowers.

[roamer65]

54. Yuck.

Blech. Lol.

[randys1]

26. Funniest moment in movie history? One of em anyways

[Jesus Malverde]

32. whats the movie?...nt

[randys1]

44. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129387/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129387/

[Jesus Malverde]

49. Thanks...nt

[Xipe Totec]

34. Now jizz wait a minute... nt

[montanacowboy]

7. BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Glad I am a vegetarian!

[JI7]

20. it's the veggie dogs which were more likely to have human dna

[Skittles]

28. ?

they're referring to "vegetarian hot dogs", whatever the f*** *THAT* is

[LiberalElite]

33. So am I but - apparently

you didnt' read the story too closely. The human DNA was found in veggie dogs.

[ToxMarz]

11. "Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods"

How much more American can you get than making them out of actual Americans.

[eppur_se_muova]

12. Frankfurters, Wieners -- can't get more American than that !

Maybe hamburgers ? Oh, wait ...

[Xipe Totec]

35. Tacos. Oh, wait...

[drm604]

14. USA Today is reporting this wrong.

Their wording does make it sound like 2/3 of vegetarian hot dogs contain human DNA, but that's not what the original report says.

http://www.clearfood.com/food_reports/2015/the_hotdog_report

Clear Food found human DNA in 2% of the samples. 2/3rds of the samples with human DNA were vegetarian products.

What's it's saying is that, of the 2% with human DNA, 2/3 were vegetarian, which is very different from saying that 2/3 of all vegetarian hot dogs contain human DNA.

[7962]

16. good catch. Most wouldnt make that connection. nt

[DeadLetterOffice]

29. YAY! Someone who understands and can read statistics!!

[Enrique]

31. I think the blog is the one that got it wrong

the USA Today story seems to have the facts straight.

[IronLionZion]

37. Well that's less interesting if you want click bait. nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

42. What percentage of the population of hot dogs is for vegetarians?

Last edited Tue Oct 27, 2015, 11:27 AM - Edit history (3)

That information is missing, certainly from the USA Today McStory. Is it 1%? 2%? 3%?

Let's say the samplers went out and bought 3,000 packages of hot dogs. What we have been told is that 2% of those 3,000 packages contained human DNA. That's 60 packages. Of those 60 packages, 40 were vegetarian products.

What I do not know is if vegetarian products are overrepresented in the contaminated group, underrepresented in the contaminated group, or on a par in the contaminated group. If you went out and bought 3,000 packages of hot dogs at random, how many of those would be vegetarian products?

Are vegetarian hot dogs more likely to contain human DNA than regular hot dogs, less likely to contain human DNA than regular hot dogs, or as likely to contain human DNA than regular hot dogs?

Let's say vegetarian hot dogs are 5% of the market. I don't know; I'm just making up numbers. Of the 3,000 packages of hot dogs the samplers buy, 5%, or 150, are vegetarian, and 95%, or 2,850, are regular. The testing finds 2% of the total population, or 60, are contaminated. 40 of those are vegetarian, and 20 are regular. In terms of percent, 40 out of 150 packages of vegetarian hotdogs, or 27% of them, are contaminated. 20 out of 2,850 packages of regular hot dogs, or 0.7%, are contaminated. That would make vegetarian hot dogs 38 times as likely as regular hot dogs to be contaminated.

Did I do that right? Outraged statisticians, please feel free to point out my errors (beyond the obvious one, pretending to be a statistician).

I doubt that vegetarian hot dogs constitute as much as 5% of the market. Juggle the assumptions around, and the numbers change.

Also, are the results being skewed by false positives? I recall the paradox of false positives on drug tests. Give me a few minutes, and I'll find an account. Here we go:

False positive paradox

The false positive paradox is a statistical result where false positive tests are more probable than true positive tests, occurring when the overall population has a low incidence of a condition and the incidence rate is lower than the false positive rate. The probability of a positive test result is determined not only by the accuracy of the test but by the characteristics of the sampled population. When the incidence, the proportion of those who have a given condition, is lower than the test's false positive rate, even tests that have a very low chance of giving a false positive in an individual case will give more false than true positives overall. So, in a society with very few infected people—fewer proportionately than the test gives false positives—there will actually be more who test positive for a disease incorrectly and don't have it than those who test positive accurately and do. The paradox has surprised many.

[7962]

15. What, you've got something against "snouts"? nt

[killerbean]

17. Human DNA in Pigs

It's probably from men porking pigs.

[Sunlei]

18. like the DNA tests. I think all foods should be tested for label truth & contaminates

Randomly off the store shelves. And reported in public. Don't forget ice cream and other dairy.

[Historic NY]

21. Cannibalism...........

I'll stick with the old mouth to snout receipe.

[frizzled]

22. I thought all vegetarian hot dogs contained vegetarians.

That's the food chain for ya!

[bigwillq]

25. Yum!

[Kilgore]

27. Could a Yelp review be the source of the DNA?

[4lbs]

30. It was to be expected. I mean, there is an acceptable level of insects in flour.

The level is extremely low, but still, all flour contains very very small bits of insects.

So, anything that is made with flour (bread, donuts, pancakes, waffles, etc.) have a few milligrams of insects.

[JudyM]

38. And grubs in butter... More things we don't want to know about... Nt

[Humanist_Activist]

40. True, but anything that is processed on any level, whether its in a flour mill...

or a grinder, pretty much any food that's mixed up, smashed, chopped and ground is going to have non-food contaminates in them. Today far less of them than in the past.

I don't see how this is alarming, unless people want us to go through the expense of only processing foods in rooms that meet or exceed the standards for clean rooms used in microchip manufacturing, we are going to have to tolerate such contaminates.

[4lbs]

48. True. They said 66% contain human DNA but they don't say what amount.

Last edited Tue Oct 27, 2015, 09:12 PM - Edit history (1)

With a typical frankfurter being about 2 ounces, that's 56 grams of product.

If 1/10 gram is human DNA, then that is 1/560, or 1/5 percent.

That means the vegetarian product is 99.8% vegetarian.

Nothing to be concerned about.

[Humanist_Activist]

55. Pretty much, I mean, I would like for them to practice good hygene and typical...

and practical sterility practices, like what you would do in a public kitchen, gloves on hands, wash hands before handling food, make sure equipment is clean etc.

I'd be much more concerned about bacteria and virus counts anyway, human contamination means nothing as long as its not enough to count as cannibalism. lol

[Kali]

39. !

math is wrong but it is a hilarious finding anyway

[GOLGO 13]

41. Hot dogs are delicous.

Don't care what's in them.

[youceyec]

43. big deal?

DNA is just nucleic acids. By themselves not harmful in any way.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

45. And what of Girl Scout Cookies?

How often do they use real girl scouts, rather than some artificial flavoring?

[hunter]

46. Humans shed a surprising amount of particulates, many containing human genetic material.

I used to work for a computer manufacturer, occasionally venturing into the clean room dressed up like a space man. (I wasn't a technical person so much as young muscle moving things.)



Smokers shed so many particles they're not even allowed into the room clean room workers suit up in.

I'm also the sort who thinks there is more inter-species gene transfer going on than we think. (No, not that kind!)

[Adrahil]

47. CONFIRMED: Vegetarians are Actually Cannibals nt ;)

[Kaleva]

50. Which mean we are more closely related to hot dogs then to chimps.

[leftofcool]

51. SOYLENT GREEN!

[MosheFeingold]

53. Hebrew National

Turned up to be -- beef.

Make fun of kosher over site all you want. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

[HuckleB]

56. Another start-up aiming to make money by scaring people. Hmm.

Why you shouldn’t panic about human DNA in veggie dogs
http://www.vox.com/2015/10/31/9636174/human-dna-hot-dog

Stop Freaking Out About Human DNA in Hot Dogs
http://gizmodo.com/stop-freaking-out-about-human-dna-in-hot-dogs-1739285946

Did a "study" really find that hot dog brands regularly contain human DNA and unlabeled meat substitutions?
http://www.snopes.com/clear-foods-hot-dog-dna-study/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

58. Thank you for providing those links. NT

[cyberswede]

57. It's a cookbook!