AMI & National Hot Dog & Sausage Council Release Video On Hot Dog Preparation For Toddlers

AMI and the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council has released a new educational video outlining the proper method to prepare hot dogs for toddlers and small children.  The video is the second installment of AMI's new "Ask the Meat Scientist" series.

In the video, Betsy Booren, Ph.D., director of scientific affairs of the American Meat Institute Foundation, reminds parents and caregivers that all foods shaped like a circle should be sliced properly before serving.  Any food shaped like a circle – from grapes to bananas to hot dogs – can pose a choking risk for young children. 

When serving hot dogs to small children, Booren notes that all hot dogs should be sliced down the middle, diced crosswise into small pieces and heated before serving.

“The safety of the foods we serve to our customers, especially children, is of paramount importance to the meat industry,” added Janet Riley, president, National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, and senior vice president, public affairs, American Meat Institute.  “That is why for more than a decade, we have echoed the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations that hot dogs should be cut into small pieces before serving to young children; that casings, if present, should be removed; and that parents should carefully supervise their young children’s eating at all times."

The two-minute video can be viewed by clicking the following link:  http://www.YouTube.com/MeatNewsNetwork

AMI plans to release a video every Tuesday during the next two months as part of its commitment to answer commonly asked questions about shopping, preparation, cooking and nutrition of various meat and poultry products.

Source: American Meat Institute