We’re in the midst of barbecue season, which means that hot dogs will be on the menu for many of you. Whether you choose pork, beef, turkey or chicken hot dogs, we hope you’ll ‘make it G.A.P.’ the next time you purchase hot dogs at the grocery store. It’s an easy way to make better food choices for your family, while also supporting brands that are improving the lives of farm animals.
Which hot dog brands are G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certified?
We’re glad you asked. When you’re in the store, look for:
- Wellshire Farms Premium All-Natural Uncured Beef Franks – available nationwide at Whole Foods Market.
- 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Uncured Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs and Organic Uncured Turkey Hot Dogs.
- Fork in the Road Honest Dogs – available at Whole Foods Market.
- Applegate The Great Organic Uncured Beef and Turkey Dogs, The Great Organic Chicken Dog, and Applegate Naturals Uncured Turkey Dogs – all available at Whole Foods Market and select Wal-mart, Target, Wegmans, Harris Teeter, and Safeway stores.
Looking for fun hot dog meal ideas?
Try one of these three yummy recipes:
Pigs in a Quilt (on Delish.com) – a fun spin on the hot dog bun for kids and adults alike.
Doyer Dog – inspired by the Los Angeles Dodger’s specialty hot dog (in Rachel Ray Magazine: rachelraymag.com)
Grilled Cheese Dogs (also on Delish.com) – put a cheesy spin on your dogs with this mouth-watering recipe.
Wait. Who is G.A.P. again?
If you’re not familiar with Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.), we’re a non-profit animal welfare standards and labeling program. We positively impact the lives of over 416 million farm animals each year through the creation and execution of our comprehensive standards across over 3,800 farms. The program assigns certification levels to G.A.P.-certified meat and egg products to signal to consumers the way in which the animal was raised. Every single product with a G.A.P. label has come from an individual farm that has been visited by a third-party auditor to make sure it meets all of our rigorous standards. In fact, more than 100 requirements have to be met just to achieve our Base Certification!
G.A.P. makes sure that:
- Every farm is audited, including individual farms that operate within a larger supplier group;
- Audits occur every 15 months; and
- Farms are audited in every season (and throughout the lifecycle of the animal).
Want to find more brands that are G.A.P. certified and learn how you can support the program? Check out our Shoppers page here.
Have a recipe to share? Find us on social media: Instagram + Facebook, and use the hashtag, #MakeItGAP. We’re always looking for great meal ideas that include G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certified products. Now get back to grilling those hot dogs!
