Hot dogs’ shape presents choking hazard, seriously

We’re holding back on a plethora of dirty jokes for this one. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement yesterday saying that due to their shape, certain foods—particularly hot dogs—can easily block a child’s air passage.

“If you were to design the perfect plug for a child’s airway, you couldn’t do much better than a hot dog,” Dr. Gary Smith, the lead author of the policy, told The Star.

SafeKids Canada, an offshoot of the Hospital for Sick Children and an organization that promotes injury prevention, recommends that parents cut hot dogs lengthwise. The AAP wants to put warning labels on foods that could choke children and food companies to redesign the shape of the hot dog (like a hamburger, perhaps?).

Maybe there should also be a warning label that advises shoppers on what’s in the majority of hot dogs.

Bottom line: wieners are not for kids.

• Redesign the hot dog, doctors urge [Toronto Star]

• New AAP policy on chocking prevention [AAP]