If you take a closer look at how hot dogs are made, you may be surprised by the hidden health risks behind this popular food. “There’s nothing natural about frankfurters,” as they’re made from “nutritionally depleted processed food” at a rate of 300,000 per hour in automated factories.

Hot dogs are a mix of pork, beef, and chicken, including leftover cuts like feet, heads, fatty tissue, and hides. These are ground into a paste, then loaded with additives such as “salt, corn syrup, MSG, nitrates, and other chemicals.” One ingredient, carmine, is a red dye made from “crushed beetles that have been boiled in ammonia or sodium carbonate.”

Worryingly, manufacturers aren’t required to list flavorings on labels. “The Department of Agriculture does not require manufacturers to disclose flavorings,” allowing many substances to go unlisted.

Health concerns are serious. A University of Hawaii study found that eating processed meats can “increase the risk of pancreatic can.cer by 67%.” Even organic hot dogs may contain nitrates and nitrites, which can form cancer-causing nitrosamines when heated.

According to the American Institute for Can.cer Research, “eating just one hot dog per day raises the risk of colorectal can.cer by 21%.”