FOOD NEWS
Why Are There Only 8 Hot Dog Buns In A Pack?
By Kimberley Laws
Hot dog eaters have been grappling with a puzzling problem for decades — store-bought hot dogs come in packs of 10, while their accompanying buns are sold in bags of eight. You may be wondering now, so why do hot dogs and buns possess different product counts?
Many contend that this mismatched number of wieners and buns is an orchestrated ploy to force consumers to buy more, but it appears that this is just a conspiracy theory. Eric Mittenthal, president of the U.S. National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, has clarified that meat is sold by the pound — and 10 wieners weigh in at just under a pound — while buns are baked in pans that make eight at a time.
Heinz has started a "Hot Dog Pact" initiative, a Change.org petition to align bun and hot dog product count, and over 35,000 people have added their signatures to the cause. As a result of Heinz's efforts, Wonder Buns now sells bags of 10 in Ontario, but Mittenthal has spoken against the petition, insisting that a ketchup brand has no place in hot dog discourse.