Federal Court Dismisses Lawsuit Attempting To Link Hot Dogs To Cancer
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed last July by the vegan advocacy group Cancer Project asserting that hot dogs cause cancer.
The Cancer Project originally filed claims against several hot dog manufacturers on behalf of three New Jersey residents who alleged they were exposed to carcinogens by eating hot dogs — even though none of the plaintiffs had actually developed cancer.
In addition to money damages, the lawsuit also sought an order requiring hot dogs to bear the following label: “Warning: Consuming hot dogs and other processed meats increases the risk of cancer.”
Although a few studies have attempted to link processed meats with an increased risk of cancer by focusing on the potential health effects of nitrites used as preservatives, the fact remains that nitrates occur naturally in fruits and have actually been proven to improve health in many ways. In turn, numerous additional scientific studies, including one from Harvard University in 2004, have found no link between meat consumption and an increased cancer risk.
Concerned about the potentially frivolous nature of the claims, and citing the lack of scientific support for the allegations, the hot dog manufacturers promptly filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. On March 18, 2010, Judge Jose Linares, of the United States Federal District Court for the District of New Jersey, granted the motion and dismissed the case in its entirety.
"We are pleased that the court moved quickly and dismissed this lawsuit," said J. Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute. As explained by Boyle, Meat products are regulated and inspected by the USDA and bear the federal government's seal of inspection, showing they are wholesome and nutritious.”
And, Boyle is not the only authority on the matter. According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, processed meat and poultry products — including hot dogs — can be, and often are, a healthy part of a balanced (and, frankly, tasty) diet.
