While hot dogs are a type of cured meat — which is treated with salt and nitrites to extend shelf life and prevent bacterial contamination — there are also uncured hot dogs.

Cured hot dogs are the most common variety, which are made with nitrite salt to prevent bacteria. Uncured hot dogs use organically derived nitrites from veggies.

There is a growing amount of scientific evidence linking cured meats to cancer in animal studies, but the potential consequences are the same in cured and uncured hot dogs.

Uncured hot dogs are cured but in a different way. Federal regulations allow manufacturers to label foods made with vegetable-derived nitrite as "uncured" or "No Nitrite Added."

These labels can be misleading, and it doesn't matter what grocery store hot dog brand you buy, as cured and uncured hot dogs contain similar levels of nitrite.

However, hot dog manufacturers argue that nitrite shouldn’t be of health concern, as other foods and your saliva contain nitrite.