Watch CBS News

'What's In Your Hot Dog?': Over 40 Percent Of Americans Afraid To Know

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook Twitter

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., (CBS) -- As Memorial Day weekend approaches and Americans around the nation begin to stock up on food that makes for a memorable BBQ, one popular item continues to instill fear in the hearts of many Americans.

The question, "What's in your hot dog?" is one not too many folks want answered.

Study: Half Of Workers Check In With Office While On Vacation

Applegate, a natural and organic meat company, finds that people are terrified about learning the ingredients in the popular barbeque staple.

"Hot dogs are the poster child for scary ingredients," said Nicole Glenn, vice president of marketing for Applegate.

Applegate surveyed more than 1,000 adults to see how they felt about hot dogs -- from their ingredients to favorite condiments and everything in between.

Ultra-Clean Homes Can Trigger Childhood Cancer, Study Finds

The key findings in the survey found that 43 percent of Americans say they are scared to find out what goes into hot dogs.

Over 33 percent of Americans avoid eating them altogether because they believe that hot dogs are generally unhealthy due to low-quality meat, artificial ingredients, and chemicals.

For those that do eat hot dogs, the survey found that Americans are six times more likely to prefer a hot dog with simple ingredients.

Survey: Average Starting Salary For Class Of 2018 Will Be Just Over $50,000

Millennials are not fans of hot dogs with many of those ages 18 to 34 avoiding them while 24 percent of millennials say they never buy hot dogs.

The survey by Applegate also found that nearly half the women questioned are more put off by the ingredients in hot dogs than men. Thirty-seven percent of men answered they would also rather not know.

A look at condiments in the study found that 61 percent of Americans say mustard is their favorite topping.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.