In Illinois, Oscar Mayer weiners are having a makeover this summer. After selling less hot dogs than competitors, Oscar Mayer has removed nitrates and nitrites from their popular hot dogs and replaced the synthetic preservatives with more natural preservatives like celery juice and cherry powder. Apparently, it made a difference with taste testers in various locations saying the new weiners were as good or better than the old ones and sales so far have jumped up by 3.4 percent. Considering hot dog sales overall have declined since a 2015 World Health Organization report said processed meats like hot dogs increases cancer risk, this is good news for Oscar Mayer, owned by Kraft Heinz.
