OK, we all know that to many hot dogs are not that good for us (even if they are great for summer barbecues near the pool), but one Washington, D.C.-based group is suing to force hot dog manufacturers put warning labels on their product.

Today, The Cancer Project filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in Newark on behalf of three New Jersey residents, saying that hot dog makers are failing to warn consumers that eating hot dogs may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

The group sued Nathan’s Famous, Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer, Sara Lee, Con Agra Foods, and Marathon Enterprises, and said in the lawsuit that the companies need to put the following warning on their labels:

Warning: Consuming hot dogs and other processed meats increases the risk of cancer.”

For evidence, the group references a 2007 study published by the American Institute for Cancer Research that found that eating one 50-gram serving of processed meat (about the amount in one hot dog) a day increases the risk of colorectal cancer, on average, by 21 percent.

What do you think? Are hot dogs “as American as baseball and apple pie,” or are they potential killers? Sound off by posting a comment below!

Image on The Cancer Project's Web site

Joey Chestnut chomped down a record 68 hot dogs, capturing his third straight July Fourth hot-dog eating contest at Coney Island, an annual showcase for flamboyant hot dogging contestants eager to show they really are what they eat.

Chestnut of San Jose, Calif., hoisted the American flag and then stood proudly like an Olympic athlete as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played following his 68 to 64 1/2 dog victory over his archrival, six-time titleholder Takeru Kobayashi.

As soon as he knew he had won, he shot his right fist into the air, his mouth still bulging while he chewed the last of his wieners at Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

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