July 2007
Yes, they’re precooked, but ...
Hot dogs are fully cooked when you buy them, but to eat them safely you still need to store and heat them properly, particularly
in the summertime. Hot dogs and other luncheon meats can harbor the harmful bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. Though factory
cooking is an important step for killing Listeria, hot dogs might become contaminated before packaging and the bacteria can
keep growing even when refrigerated.
While healthy adults and children occasionally get infected with Listeria, they rarely become seriously ill. However, pregnant
women, those with weakened immune systems, and the elderly are more susceptible to potentially life-threatening illness from
it. So before you fire up the grill, keep these precautions in mind:
- Refrigerate or freeze hot dogs as soon as you get home from the grocery store. If unopened, they can be safely stored for
two weeks in the refrigerator; once opened, they should be kept only for one week.
- Don’t leave franks out of the cooler or off the grill for more than two hours, or one hour if the temperature is above 90°
F. When you’re off to the beach or park, store hot dogs in an insulated cooler with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs.
- Heat the franks so that they’re steamy hot throughout before eating them. Experts recommend using a food thermometer to make
sure hot dogs reach 165° F.
- Cut hot dogs into pieces no bigger than one-half inch when you’re feeding children under 4 years old. Bigger bites could be a choking hazard.
