Petition tells feds: ‘Hands off my hot dog’

The North American Meat Institute has a message for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee – “Get your hands off my hot dog.”

The meat and poultry trade association is calling all hot dog, sausage, bacon and salami lovers to sign a petition on change.org, which asks the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to include meat as part of a healthy diet in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

{mosads}In its report released last month, which HHS and USDA will use to determine what should be included and excluded from this year’s dietary guidelines, the advisory committee recommended Americans eat less red and processed meats. It also listed the vegan diet as one of the healthiest with the lowest environmental impact.

But NAMI’s National Hot Dog & Sausage Council said the report conflicts with studies showing how meat’s nutrient density helps deliver a unique nutrition bundle, control appetite, aid in weight control and how vitamin B-12 helps brain development and brain health.

“We believe the dietitians and nutritionists who make up the Committee overstepped their bounds by not focusing on nutrition and instead wandering into environmental issues,” the petition says.

“In fact, we believe that processed meat products are sustainable because they limit spoilage and waste.”

The petition had 15 supporters as of 4 p.m. Thursday.