Applegate Says Save The Fireworks For The Sky This July And Stage A Wienervention

July is National Hot Dog Month and More Americans Looking for "Cleaner Wieners"

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Jun 27, 2014, 09:00 ET

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., June 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodium nitrate, an ingredient in fireworks, fertilizer and...franks? July is National Hot Dog Month and with Americans set to consume more than 150 million hot dogs over the 4^th of July holidays, Applegate, the leading producer of natural and organic meats, reports that concerns over the mystery meat and ingredients is most likely driving a surge in natural and organic hot dog sales.

"In 2013, hot dog sales overall were down by more than 3 percent, but natural and organic hot dog sales were up by more than 14 percent," says Neil Leinwand, senior vice president of marketing at Applegate. "It's pretty clear that more and more consumers want hot dogs with simple, understandable ingredients and no antibiotics."

An Applegate survey found that virtually all Americans buy hot dogs (92 percent) and more than 90 percent of people who consume hot dogs would rather purchase cleaner wieners with a short ingredient statement that listed beef, water, sea salt and spices versus one with items like sodium phosphate and sodium nitrite. Additionally, 79 percent of respondents thought it was important for hot dogs to be made from animals that were not administered antibiotics or hormones, underscoring just how important this issue has become for shoppers.

Applegate makes a full line of natural and organic hot dogs: beef, beef and pork, turkey and chicken. All of Applegate's hot dogs are antibiotic- and hormone-free, with no added chemical nitrites. Applegate hot dogs generally have fewer calories, 50 percent less fat and 40 percent less sodium per serving than conventional hot dogs.

Because the survey found that hot dogs (tied with ice cream) were the number one "guilty pleasure" that 33 percent of Americans try to hide in their shopping carts, Applegate is inviting hot dog lovers to "wienervene" and eat better hot dogs for National Hot Dog Month. By visiting www.applegate.com/whatsinyourhotdog and joining the conversation online with #wienervention, fans can download coupons and enter to win everything they need to stage a "wienervention" of their own.

About the Survey
The survey was conducted using Op4G's On-line Omnibus. Interviews were completed April 23 through April 28, 2014. The ending sample of 2000 respondents is representative of U.S. adults aged 18+ and is balanced to census on seven key demographics: Gender, State/Region, Age, Income, Ethnicity, Household Size, and Education.

Sample size and margin of error for this sample are as follows:

Sample group	Size	Margin of Error
US Adults aged 18+	2000	+/- 2.2%

About Applegate
For more than 25 years, Applegate has been producing high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Natural can mean many things, but when Applegate says their products are natural, consumers are guaranteed that the meat inside is:

Raised without antibiotics or hormones
From animals fed a vegetarian or 100% grass diet and treated with humane animal standards
Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates
Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives

For more information about our products, visit http://www.applegate.com.

SOURCE Applegate