Meat preserved with nitrites may cause cancer

The University of Nebraska Medical Center began their study off-campus.

"We bought at a supermarket large batches of hot dogs," lead researcher Sidney Mirvish told AFP.

"We examined the hot dogs -- wieners, frankfurters or sausages -- because they are a widely consumed nitrite-preserved meat and because of the proposed linkage of such products with colon cancer," the study said.

The researchers used water to extract compounds in the hot dogs, and found apparent N-nitroso compounds, the study said.

The scientists put the water extract in contact with salmonella bacteria, which before long showed a significant mutation of its genetic code.