A food analytics company has made a startling discovery while closely studying different types of hot dogs and sausages.
According to the firm, a small portion of the samples studied contained human DNA.
The study on the popular American snack was spearheaded by Clear Food, a subsidiary of Clear Labs that focuses on food items sold to the public. For the study, the company investigated a total of 345 hot dogs and sausages products of 75 brands that are being sold in 10 retailers.
The study was conducted using genomic technology which allowed researchers of Clear Food to investigate their samples at a molecular level, according to CBS News.
Based on their findings, about two percent of the samples contained human DNA. But, this does not automatically mean that the food items had additives made of human meat. Instead, as noted by HNGN, the human DNA may have come from the saliva or hair of those who prepared or handled the hot dogs.
Of course, this still raises hygienic issues regarding the manufacturing process of this food item.
Aside from human DNA, the researchers of Clear Food also discovered other issues in 14.4 percent of the samples. According to the researchers, these include meats that are not written on the labels and the absence of additives that are listed in the ingredients.
The researchers also discovered that about two-thirds of the vegetarian variants of hot dogs and sausages contained different kinds of meat such as chicken and pork.
"While some of these substitutions, hygienic issues, other variances or off-label ingredients may be permitted by the FDA, our scientific disclosure allows you, as the consumer, to decide whether the variances or problems meet your personal standard in your buying decisions," Clear Food wrote in its report.
Although the company was able to uncover various problems regarding the actual contents of hot dogs from different brands, Clear Food noted that these affected items only represent a small portion of the samples.
Majority of the sausages and hot dogs that they studied were produced by manufacturers with high-quality.
"Despite the problems we found, what was most promising in our tests was the fact that there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity," Clear Food stated. "These producers were not limited to organic producers or high-end specialty brands-products across a variety of price points scored well."
