Product review: Cleaver’s organic beef hotdogs

Cleaver’s organic beef hotdogs are a heathier alternative to ultra-processed hotdogs and frankfurters available in the market. You can find them at major supermarkets and other grocery stores.

Cleaver’s organic beef hotdogs

As all Cleaver’s products, these hot dogs are certified organic, made from free range, grass fed and finished beef. They do not contain fillers, making them gluten-free, paleo-friendly and low-carb. They are also free of additives so they can be enjoyed by people with other allergy or intolerance to those.

These hotdogs are pre-cooked, so just need to be heated up before eating.

Ingredients

These hotdogs and all cured meats classify as processed meat products, which should not be consumed on a daily basis. However, these are possibly the least processed hotdogs you will ever find. Have a look at the ingredients list:

• Organic beef (86%), water, Australian sea salt, natural cure (salt, vegetable extracts, herb extracts), organic spices, rosemary extract, organic onion and organic garlic.

Now compare the ingredients to the following unnamed products also available in supermarkets:

• Product A: Meat including pork (74%), water, frankfurt premix (potato starch, salt, thickener (1440), soy protein, mineral salts (450, 451, 452), vegetable gums (407, 412, 415), food acid (331, 262), dextrose (maize or tapioca), antioxidant (316), vegetable powder, fermented red rice, preservatives (250. 220 (from soy)). spices and spice extracts, flavour), acidity regulators (326, 325), milk protein, edible collagen casing (contains colours (120, 160b, 160c)).
• Product B: Meat including pork (72%), water, starch (tapioca, potato), salt, soy protein, acidity regulators (325, 262), emulsifiers (451, 450, 452), dextrose (tapioca, maize), antioxidants (316, 307b), hydrolysed vegetable protein (maize), maltodextrin (maize), garlic, fermented red rice, sodium nitrite (250), yeast extract, spice extracts, colours (160c,110, 129). smoked.
• Product C: Meat including pork (70%), water, acidity regulator (325), potato starch, salt, spices, dextrose, soy protein, mineral salts (450, 451, 452), antioxidants (306, 316), yeast extract, dehydrated vegetable, preservative (250), natural flavour, spice extracts, natural colour (160c), natural wood smoke.
• Product D: Meat including pork (74%), water, frankfurt mix {potato starch, tapioca starch, salt, modified starch (1442), soya protein isolate, soya protein concentrate, stabilisers (451, 341), spices, antioxidant (316), preservative (250), hydrolysed maize protein, spice extract}, acidity regulator (325), premix [dextrose (corn), sucrose, stabilisers (450, 452)}. casing: colour (120, 160b, 160c).

Nutrition information

I found the nutrition information in this product very confusing. The number of serves per pack is 5, but the pack has 6 hotdogs. You’ll have to do a little math to calculate the actual nutrient profile.

Nutrient	Avg quantity per serving (55g)	Avg quantity per 100g
Energy (kJ)	569	1035
Protein (g)	8.2	14.9
Fat, total (g)	11.3	20.5
– Saturated (g)	5.7	10.4
– Trans (g)	0.2	0.3
– Monounsaturated (g)	5.1	9.3
– Polyunsaturated (g)	0.3	0.5
Carbohydrate, total (g)	0.8	1.5
Sugars (g)	<0.5	<0.5
Sodium (mg)	382	694

Taste test

We tried the hot dogs two ways: sliced with scrambled eggs (my favourite childhood breakfast) and just simmered in a slice of gluten-free bread with American mustard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Gaby Mora (@gabymorag) on Feb 14, 2020 at 5:40pm PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Gaby Mora (@gabymorag) on Feb 14, 2020 at 5:43pm PST

I’m used to pork hotdogs but I enjoyed the taste of these regardless. The texture is similar to regular hotdogs, perhaps a little firmer.

Summary and recommendations

These hotdogs are perhaps the best alternative to ultra-processed products available in the market. They are still a processed meat product and the word “organic” does not negate this fact. Enjoy them once in a while.

Also remember it’s not just about the hotdog, but also about what you eat with it. Are you wrapping it in a processed white flour bun topping it with lots of sugary tomato/barbecue sauce and with a plate of hot chips on the side or are you eating it in a wholegrain bread with some coleslaw or lettuce + tomato, nice mustard and a side salad?

More information

For more information about Cleaver’s organic beef hotdog and other products and recipes check out their website.

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