Sausages are undergoing a renaissance with American consumers, as new flavors are being added with new strains to make it more of a health-safe fast food variety. However, along side many good tasting old standards go on enjoying an unblemished record of steady category growth. Thanks to the combination of taste, food value and convenience to prepare. In fact sausages are filled with such a mouth-watering array of herbs and spices, there's no need for lots of extra ingredients to create a tasty dish. And this has made sausages a favorite pick for home-made meals and event-time savory alike.
It's not unusual to see as much as five tons of sausage being consumed in one day at a special event -- to say nothing of the 20 gallons of mustard, 930 pounds of onions, 125 gallons of pickles, 40 gallons of ketchup and more than 3,000 hard rolls. Whether it is called a festival, fest, or fair, special events like these take place in cities and towns all across the nation every year.
But what is there so much 'hot' about the hot dogs?
For centuries together, hot dogs and sausages have suffered from a fair share of misperceptions about their content and manufacture. But today's traditional hot dogs and sausages are growing leaner. The fact is the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires by law that meats used in hot dogs and sausages must be muscle meat, just like the fresh ground meat sold in supermarkets. The vast majority of hot dogs and sausages consist of the same high quality meats that shoppers buy straight out of their grocer's meat case.
The food value
Even for the health freaks hot dogs and sausages can be a positive component of a healthy diet. As meat products, hot dogs and sausages are good sources of vitamins, minerals and protein. In fact, NASA has approved hot dogs as a regular item on Apollo moon flights, Skylab missions and space shuttle flights.
Protein, vitamins and minerals...
All hot dogs and sausages are cured and cooked sausages that consist mostly of pork and/or beef, although many new varieties are made from either chicken or turkey. Other ingredients include water, salt, sugar (sucrose), spices and curing agents.
Hot Dogs, like all meat and poultry products, are nutrient-rich sources of protein, vitamins and minerals. Among minerals hot dogs are regarded as a good source of iron and zinc. Vitamins include niacin, riboflavin and of course B vitamins. Pork, used in both hot dogs and sausages, is a good source of thiamin. The average regular 1.6 ounce hot dog contains five to seven grams of protein. Also it is about 150 calories, and contains about 13 grams of fat and 450 milligrams of sodium. Hot dogs may contain up to 3.5 percent non-meat ingredients, such as non-fat milk, cereal or dried whole milk, or 2 percent isolated soy protein. Above all else, hot dogs and sausage should be viewed as part of an overall diet. They can be enjoyed as part of a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of foods.
Those who are concerned about their weight will find a wide variety of great tasting no-fat, low-fat hot dogs - some with zero fat and as few as 35 calories. For example, Weight Watchers includes hot dogs in its diet regimen, as do other popular and medically-approved diets.
The safety seal
Hot dogs are among the safest meat products consumers can buy. Consumer surveys indicate that shoppers perceive "spoilage," including bacterial pathogens, as the greatest threat to food safety. One of the major advantages of hot dogs and some sausages is that, as pre-cooked and cured foods, they are far less susceptible to spoilage and other contamination than other meat products.
However, all the ingredients which add to the nutritive value, must be clearly labeled. When variety meats, such as livers and hearts are used in processed meat products, the manufacturer must declare on the front of the package and the ingredients statement, "with variety meats" or "with meat by-products."
Consumer profile
Hot dog consumption is fairly uniform throughout various income levels. Larger families with five or more members tend to eat larger numbers of hot dogs as do younger families where heads of households are under 35. And Southerners eat the largest share of hot dogs, followed by those in the North Central region, Northeast and West.
The hot dog economics
The steady popularity of hot dog as one of the most favorite fast food must mean a steady demand for it across the nation. The question is whether the supply is adequate to cater to the huge demand. A 1997 report from NPD Group revealed that the average household purchased 7.65 pounds of hot dogs annually, valued at $12.55. Retail sales data also reflects strong demand for hot dogs during the summer months. Hot dog retail sales from May to August represent more than 44 percent of the annual total, with July, National Hot Dog Month, leading the pack. Consumers were estimated to take 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 1999.
Until 1987, the U.S. Department of Agriculture tracked the amount of processed meat products that were processed under federal inspection. After 1987, the Department discontinued its reporting of these numbers. However, in 1987, the last year for which numbers are available, USDA reported the production of 1.5 billion pounds of meat franks and wieners. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that today total hot dog production is approximately two billion pounds with roughly 64 percent comprised of pork/meat combination hot dogs, 24 percent all beef hot dogs and 12 percent poultry hot dogs. This translates to approximately 60 hot dogs per person per year.
According to a 1999 National Hot Dog and Sausage Council survey of major league ballparks, for every ten tickets that are sold, approximately four hot dogs are eaten. This will result in more than 26 million hot dogs consumed in major league ball parks this year.
