Sausages, one of the oldest forms of processed food, are a means of using and preserving animal
trimmings. The hot dog is a specialized sausage. It originated in Germany where it was named “dachshund”
sausage because it looked like the popular badger (dachs) hound (hund). The U.S. hot dog originated
at the Polo Grounds in New York. Vendors hawked dachshund sausages in buns while a sports
cartoonist sketched a barking dachshund nestled warmly in a bun. He labeled the cartoon “hot dog”.
Today the hot dog enjoys popularity throughout the world

Geier, Hans

Lewis, Carol E.

English

ScholarWorks@UA

ALASKA HOT DOGSOUR DOGS ARE TOP DOGSCarol E. Lewis Professor of Resources ManagementHans Geier Regional Economist Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station University of Alaska FairbanksMisc. Pub. 99-6 October 1999TASTE IS IMPORTANTWe are often asked, “What food products can be produced in Alaska?” More often we hear “How do Alaska food products taste and do consumers want to buy them?” Scientists at the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station have been answering that question since 1990. We test the appearance, texture, flavor, and consumer acceptance of Alaska food products.Production of plants and domestication of animals were most important to the ancient world's first farmers. Flavor played a role in what was eaten, however. The search for spices opened trade routes and resulted in discovery of continents.The entire food supply chain includes more than just production. It extends to manufac­turing, packaging, home processing, and serv­ing. Early food choices were limited to local products. Developing processing technology and increasing globalization of communica­tion and food distribution systems changed the profile of food choices. Taste and appear­ance became more important to increasingly better-informed and discerning consumers worldwide.Food production began in the early 1800s in Alaska. Russians in fur-trapping and trad­ing colonies in the southcentral and south­eastern regions were Alaska’s first farmers. Farming continued in the territory and state with assistance from the agricultural experi­ment stations which celebrated 100 years of research in 1998. Food production was cen­tral to settlement and mining. A well-devel­oped transportation system now allows Alas­kans a wide variety of food choices, and an equally well-developed communication sys­tem informs them about food products. There­fore, local products must not only be priced competitively, they must have a pleasing ap­pearance and distinctive taste.A l a s k a  Hot  D o g s :  Our D o g s  are Top D o g sThe hot dog has been adopted by people in the United States as their favorite sausage. Mt. McKinley Meat and Sausage Company in Palmer, Alaska, markets a hot-dog/deli-sausage as an all-beef frank under the label ‘Palmer Pride’. How does the Palmer Pride frank compare to traditional hot dogs?IntroductionSausages, one of the oldest forms of processed food, are a means of using and preserving animal trimmings. The hot dog is a specialized sausage. It originated in Germany where it was named “dachs­hund” sausage because it looked like the popular badger (dachs) hound (hund). The U.S. hot dog origi­nated at the Polo Grounds in New York. Vendors hawked dachshund sausages in buns while a sports cartoonist sketched a barking dachshund nestled warmly in a bun. He labeled the cartoon “hot dog”. Today the hot dog enjoys popularity throughout the world.MethodsWe selected three major hot dog brands to compare to the Palmer Pride all-beef frank. The three brands were manufactured using traditional processes that produce a fine-textured meat, soft skin, hot-dog pink color, and smoky, slightly salty flavor. One brand was at the high end of the price scale, one at the low end, and the third a kosher hot dog. A panel of volunteers participated in blind sensory evaluations. They described their ideal hot dog, ranked the hot dogs in our test, and told us about themselves and their relationship to hot dogs.ResultsOf the 144 participants, 94% consumed hot dogs, most at special events and picnics. Our tasters ideal hot dog was Tiot-dog pink’, not pale, and plump. The skin was a bit more soft than chewy though somewhat snappy. The ideal meat was firm. The tasters favored a beefy flavor, somewhat smoky, that was not necessarily salty or sweet.All participants’ responses considered, the Palmer Pride all-beef frank was preferred. Youth and teenagers differed. The 5-12 year age group strongly preferred the traditional hot dog at the high end of the price scale. The teenagers preferred the higher-priced traditional dog, but their preference for the Palmer Pride frank was stronger than that of our younger panelists.ConclusionsThe Palmer Pride all-beef frank is a sausage for adults and for some teenagers with more sophisti­cated tastes. It is a deli-type sausage, though certainly can be consumed as a hot dog. Consumers were favorable in their evaluation of this sausage. It should be made available in specialty outlets and delica­tessen sections of supermarkets. The Palmer Pride all-beef sausage is indeed a top dog.Alaska hot d ogs’ appearance, texture and flavor were favored by panelists.Kosher Low Price Alaska High PriceKosher Low Price Alaska High PriceKosher Low Price Alaska High PriceLIKE APPEARANCE (%)LIKE TEXTURE (%)LIKE FLAVOR (%)20 40 60 80 100For more detailed information about Alaska hot dogs or any of the products we have tested please contact:Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Telephone: (907) 474—5550 or 474-7188309 O’Neill Building, Box 757200 Fax: (907) 474-6184University of Alaska Fairbanks E-mail: fynrpub@uaf.eduFairbanks AK 99775-7200Thanks to Jan Hanscom who made a place for us at the “Day at the Garden” at the Experiment Farm in Fairbanks, and Matt Macander (M.S. student) and John Yarie (Professor of Forest Science) who cooked and cut hot dogs. Allen Mitchell (Acting Director of the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station), the Palmer Research Center farm crew, and Julie Shalvoy (School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management business office) made the consumer panel at “Agricultural Appreciation Day” possible.The University of Alaska Fairbanks is an affirmative action equal opportunity and educational institution.THE ‘ALASKA GROWN’ PROGRAMThe colorful and easy to identify Alaska Grown logo was first used in 1986. It is fre­quently seen in advertisements, retail markets, food shows and farmers’ markets around the state. It’s a part of the Alaska Grown program that promotes quality Alaskan products.The Alaska Grown program has two objectives:• substitute locally produced for imported products;• establish criteria to identify quality char­acteristics of Alaskan products.Point-of-purchase posters and stickers help identify products that carry the Alaska Grown label. Specific quality characteristics of fresh and processed products produced in the state must be met. Quality attributes of fresh pro­duce for example, include appearance, condi­tion, and other factors that influence eating quality.The program works. Consumers are increas­ingly seeking products with the Alaska Grown logo. Each year more producers qualify to par­ticipate. Farmers gain the market visibility of the Alaska Grown logo. Consumers have the assurance that they are purchasing a quality product, much as they would with an estab­lished brand name.Positive consumer and producer response to the Alaska Grown program indicates the poten­tial for an on-going cooperative strategy, espe­cially one that addresses consumer concerns and provides farmers with an opportunity for mar­ket entry.Look fo r Alaska Grown w h en  you  shop!SENSORY TESTINGThe Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station does not have controlled-environment sensory laboratories. However, our producer and consumer clients want information about the taste and acceptability of Alaska products. We devised a scientifically valid procedure to sat­isfy their requests.There are a number of ways to determine ap­pearance, taste, texture, and consumer accept­ability of food products. We chose to use un­trained panels and focus groups. The demo­graphics of our panels closely match those of Alaska’s population. We do most of the chemi­cal analyses we need in our laboratories.You can find our scientists in university class­rooms. Sensory panels are excellent tools to teach consumer marketing principles. We also conduct taste testing at fairs and community events in Fairbanks and the Anchorage area.Alaska growers and producers supply the prod­ucts we test. Recently we began testing vegetables from the Georgeson Botanical Garden.Our scientists prepare market research re­ports from information supplied by panelists. Students may also provide market strategies and logos. Sensory panelists might describe a similar product to the one they are testing, or provide information on their shopping habits, views on organic products, the Alaska Grown program, and healthy eating habits.Producers and processors can use the infor­mation we provide to promote special attributes of the products we test, confident in the knowl­edge that their claims are supported by scien­tifically valid research. Consumers can be as­sured that market claims are accurate when they purchase Alaska products we have tested.Visit the Georgeson Botanical Garden through their web site at: www.lter.uaf.edu/~salrm/GBG_WWW/GBG.htmUNIVERSITY OF ALASKAFAIRBANKSAGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY EXPERIMENT STATIONThe federal Hatch Act of 1887 authorized es­tablishment of agricultural experiment stations in the U.S. and its territories to provide science- based research information to farmers. There are agricultural experiment stations in each of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam. All are part of the land-grant college system. The Morrill Act established the land-grant colleges in 1862. While the experiment stations perform agricultural research, the land-grant colleges pro­vide education in the science and economics of ag­riculture.The first experiment station in Alaska was established in Sitka in 1898. Subsequent sta­tions were opened at Kodiak, Kenai, Rampart, Copper Center, Fairbanks, and Matanuska. The latter two remain. None were originally part of the Alaska land-grant college system. The Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines was established by the Morrill Act in 1922. It became the University of Alaska in 1935. The Fairbanks and Matanuska stations now form the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Sta­tion of the University of Alaska Fairbanks which also includes the Palmer Research Center.Early experiment station researchers devel­oped adapted cultivars of grains, grasses, pota­toes, and berries and introduced many vegetable cultivars appropriate to Alaska. Animal and poultry management was also important. This work continues as does research in soils and revegetation, forest ecology and management, and rural and economic development. Change has been constant as the Agricultural and For­estry Experiment Station continues to bring state-of-the-art research information to its clientele.

Misc. Pub. 99-6

https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/bitstream/11122/2663/1/mp99-6.pdf

Misc. Pub. 99-6

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