The Hot Dog Hazard

The American Academy of Pediatrics wants manufacturers to redesign foods notorious for choking children.

Street side sausage-filled rolls, a.k.a. hot dogs, might soon lose their distinct daschund-esque look. The American Academy of Pediatrics wants manufacturers to redesign foods notorious for choking children. The number one cause of mortality among kids below the age of three is choking. For man-made products, notably including the hot dog, the AAP policy suggests redesign as a way to reduce choking risk. The ten foods deemed dangerous for kids are hot dogs, hard candy, whole grapes, raw carrots, peanut butter, chewing gum, marshmallows, peanuts/nuts, popcorn and sausages. Grapes are mashed by parents who play it safe. Frankfurters, manufactured by hand or machine, are slit for safety. But their unsafe form-factor means that the 20 million hot dogs that Americans eat every year might soon look like burgers.

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Pramila N. Phatarphekar