Hot Dog War: Ball Park Franks Sues Oscar Mayer Over Taste Test Claims
Sara Lee, maker of Ball Park Franks, has sued Kraft, manufacturer of Oscar Mayer hot dogs over advertising that claimed that the Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks beat Ball Park and ConAgra Foods' Hebrew National hot dogs in a national taste test. Turns out, it wasn't that simple.
From the Chicago Tribune:
The Sara Lee suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, says the ad is false and misleading because in large type it implies one Oscar Mayer dog bested the taste of all Ball Park dogs. But the footnote, "in very small type," says that Oscar Mayer compared its hot dogs to "the leading beef franks" of its main rivals.
Sara Lee is also upset about Kraft's claim that Oscar Mayer hot dogs are 100% beef when, apparently, there are other ingredients.
Sara Lee sues Kraft over hot dog taste claims [Chicago Tribune]
(Photo:Matt McGee)
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Ambassador Old Fashioned. That's what you want.
Hembold's hot dogs all the way, baby!
Hot Doug's. The only hot dog you'll ever need.
[www.hotdougs.com] (These are the specials. They've got regular dogs, too)
First spam, now hot dogs. Is it processed meat day on consumerist? I may have to stop at a cart on my way home
I'm now now vegan, but back in my meat eating days I wouldn't eat anything besides Hebrew National. Absolutely the best in terms of quality.
Zweigles natural casing White Hot Dogs FTW [www.zweigles.com]
Their Red Hots (cased or skinless) are delicious too.
Vienna Beef FTW!
I do find Ball Park Franks have less hair than Oscar Mayer weiners.
Hoffman's. I only eat hot dogs once or twice a year because of health concerns, but when I do, I want the nest tasting dog on god's green earth.
Oh I wish I was an Oscar Meyer spammer, that is what I'd really like to be, cus if I was an Oscar Meyer spammer, I could claim the hot dogs are all beef.
@Skankingmike: Yeah, there's really no comparing Oscar Mayer to Hebrew National. I miss my Shofar hot dogs, though :(
I like Hebrew National but 1) they're expensive and 2) kinda fatty so they can mess up my stomach.
I like Oscar Myer's Turkey hot dogs but they're harder for me to get to since the grocery store near me doesn't sell them. They're cheaper and less likely to mess my stomach up.
Taste is an opinion. How do you sue over an opinion?
@Skankingmike: I like Nathan's Famous hot dogs from the grocery store, but absolutely hate them from the Nathan's stands. Weird.
I'm going to have to vote for Oscar Meyer solely because, as a child in Hawaii, an Oscer Mayer Weinermobile broke down by my house so they left it there all day and they gave me about 10 weenie-whistles. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity, my four year old mind loved it.
But, taste-wise, I have no idea who's better.
@Rectilinear Propagation: ConAgra? I wouldn't trust anyone with hot dogs if they're under the umbrella of ConAgra.
Best Kosher/Sinai are/were the best!
I still have about 15 lbs. in my freezer.
I found them on clearance at Costco in Chicago in March, over a month after the weasels at Sara Lee shut down Best Kosher.
The Kirkland Supreme at Costco's hot dog stand are revolting!
They're made by some company in Texas that doesn't know a damned thing about making a good hot dog.
As for the Oscar Mayer/Ball Park fight.
Both are goyishe hot dogs, meaning tasteless & mushy!
I don't know whom to root for:
Hebrew National > Oscar Meyer > Ball Park Franks.
Koegels, ftw.
J Dawgs. It's a local fixture in Provo, UT. I don't know what's in their sauce, but I can't get enough of it...maybe it's heroin.
@Skankingmike: "Best Kosher" jumbo dinner franks are the best. Find them anywhere in Chicagoland, not sure about other places.
@takes_so_little: Ah, you meant "best". What "health concerns" do you have over high-quality, well-produced hot dogs?
Boar's Head, Best's, or Vienna Beef. Sabrett aren't bad either. I guess I'm kinda a hot dog snob, but for the most part, I won't bother with anything less.
Hot Dogs are gross. it's all about Costco dogs. I don't know what they are or what's in them, but they are awesome.
@Greasy Thumb Guzik: GO GO BEST KOSHER!
Those are, HANDS DOWN, the best dogs around.
Wait wait, what, Best Kosher got shut down?!?!?! WTF?
I guess no one's ever had Boar's Head Coney Island Franks (beef and pork)...
@downwithmonstercable: So other hot dogs are gross, but the hot dogs you get from Costco are okay even though you don't know what's in them?
Thanks...now I want hot dogs. And there aren't any around me. Sniffle.
Who wants to make a run to Ben's Chilli Bowl?
@Rachacha: Western NY FTW! Gimmie Zweigles any day, but not the white ones. Texas Red Hots for me, please!
Kahn's all beef hot dogs.
or
Saugy's.
I'm from Michigan so I have to say that Koegel Viennas are by far the best hot dogs. I wouldn't eat one of those mushy Ball Parks or Oscar Mayers if someone paid me. Ew gross!
Next time you are buying hot dogs please remember this colossal waste of money and think of how it contributes to the cost of your hot dogs.
@nrich239:
Nathan's hot dogs in the natural casing FTW (expensive as crap though)
I see what you did there!
How about a poll option for Vienna Beef
@Skankingmike: i like hebrew national, but how come they only give 7 hot dogs in their packages? ever seen a pack of 7 hot dog buns?
nathans is my first choice, and my second would be sabretts (they are a little more slimy but they sure are tasty, just wash them off before grilling)
i still cant get why hebrew only gives 7 hot dogs
Shopsy's or bust.
I don't understand this lawsuit. It seems awfully like they are splitting hairs. Oscar Meyer beat the other two brands' leading beef frank. Sounds to me like they beat the most popular, best-tasting franks of the others. If they had gone up against the other brands' least-popular franks, it still seems like Oscar Meyer would have come out ahead by definition.
@lannister80: What business of yours are my health concerns? It's between me and my doctor, and my family. You might want to stop trivializing others' ailments, though, jut sayin.
Hebrew Nationals! or Nathans