The Shape of Things to Come

Enjoy your hot dogs original shape while you can, if a certain group of physicians get their way the shape of the hot dog may very soon be flat and square. The choking hazard of certain foods for children has long been a concern of parents, myself included, but the logical course of action to take in that instance is too avoid those foods until the child is of a certain age, or mash, chop or otherwise change the consistency of risk imposing foods. The push by this leading group of U.S. pediatricians for a redesign regarding the shape of hot dogs, candies and certain snack foods appears to be one more instance of extreme food policing aimed at food manufacturers. What food manufacturers and health professionals do agree upon is the proposition of mandatory food warning labels to educate consumers on choking risks, which makes much more sense than attempting to change product shapes when you consider the mere fact that several of the foods listed as a possible choking risk have their shapes predestined by Mother Nature, such as grapes, peanuts and other nuts. Bottom line, parents and child care givers need to own up to what should be their number one priority and that's keeping kids safe.