Recently, Oscar Mayer cleaned up its hot dog ingredient labels, replacing all artificial preservatives, added nitrates and added nitrites with celery juice. Tyson Foods has also removed nitrates and nitrites from its Ball Park hot dog line. Will other companies follow suit?
Food additives such as nitrites can improve product appearance, texture, taste and freshness. And celery juice certainly sounds healthy to consumers, compared to, say, sodium nitrites. But the celery juice in hot dogs is treated with bacterial culture to turn its natural nitrates into nitrites, which fulfill the same function as before — provide color, improve shelf life and prevent foodborne illnesses.