Q. What's wrong with hot dogs?
A. Nitrite additives in hotdogs form carcinogens.
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Three different studies have come out in the past year, finding that the consumption
of hot dogs can be a risk factor for childhood cancer.
Peters et al. studied the relationship between the intake of
certain foods and the risk of leukemia in children from birth to
age 10 in Los Angeles County
1980 and 1987. The study found that children eating more than 12 hot dogs
per month have nine times the normal risk of developing childhood
leukemia. A strong
risk for childhood leukemia also existed for those children whose fathers'
intake of hot dogs was 12 or more per month.
Researchers Sarusua and Savitz studied childhood cancer cases
in Denver and found that children born to mothers who consumed
hot dogs one or more times
during pregnancy has approximately double the risk of developing brain
tumors. Children who ate hot dogs one or more times per week were
also at higher
risk of brain cancer.
Bunin et al, also found that maternal consumption of hot dogs
during pregnancy was associated with an excess risk of childhood
Q. How could hot dogs cause cancer?
A. Hot dogs contain nitrites which are used as preservatives, primarily
to combat botulism. During the cooking process, nitrites combine with
amines naturally present in meat to form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds.
that nitrites can combine with amines in the human stomach to form N-nitroso
compounds. These compounds are known carcinogens and have been associated
with cancer of the oral cavity, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach and
Q. Some vegetables contain nitrites, do they cause cancer too?
A. It is true that nitrites are commonly found in many green vegetables,
especially spinach, celery and green lettuce. However, the consumption
of vegetables appears
to be effective in reducing the risk of cancer. How is this possible?
The explanation lies in the formation of N-nitroso compounds from nitrites
and amines. Nitrite
containing vegetables also have Vitamin C and D, which serve to inhibit
the formation of N-nitroso compounds. Consequently, vegetables are quite
and serve to reduce your cancer risk.
Q. Do other food products contain nitrites?
A. Yes, all cured meats contain nitrites. These include bacon and fish.
Q. Are all hot dogs a risk for childhood cancer?
A. No. Not all hot dogs on the market contain nitrites. Because of modern
refrigeration methods, nitrites are now used more for the red color they
produce (which is
associated with freshness) than for preservation. Nitrite-free hot dogs,
while they taste the same as nitrite hot dogs, have a brownish color
that has limited
their popularity among consumers. When cooked, nitrite-free hot dogs
are perfectly safe and healthy.
HERE ARE FOUR THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO:
- Do not buy
hot dogs containing nitrite. It is especially important that
children and potential parents do not consume 12 or more of these
- Request that your supermarket have nitrite-free hot
- Contact your local school board and find out
whether children are being served nitrite hot dogs in the cafeteria,
- Write the FDA and express your concern that nitrite-hot
dogs are not labeled for their cancer risk to children. You can
dogs, docket #: 95P 0112/CP1.
Cancer Prevention Coalition
of Public Health, M/C 922
University of Illinois at Chicago
2121 West Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612
Tel: (312) 996-2297, Fax: (312) 413-9898
1, Peters J, et al " Processed meats and risk of childhood leukemia (California,
USA)" Cancer Causes & Control 5: 195-202, 1994.
2 Sarasua S, Savitz D. " Cured and broiled meat consumption
in relation to childhood cancer: Denver, Colorado (United States)," Cancer
Causes & Control 5:141-8, 1994.
3 Bunin GR, et al. "Maternal diet and risk of astrocytic
glioma in children: a report from the children's cancer group
(United States and Canada)," Cancer
Causes & Control 5:177-87, 1994.
4. Lijinsky W, Epstein, S. "Nitrosamines as environmental
carcinogens," Nature 225 (5227): 2112, 1970.