Happy Labor Day from Gut Check (Enjoy Your Hot Dog!)

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​Did you know that between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans eat roughly 818 hot dogs per second? That's what the Hot Dog and Sausage Council tells the New York Times. We're a nation of Joey "Jaws" Chestnuts!

This weekend, of course, marks the unofficial end of summer and, with it, the backyard grilling season. Before you throw some wieners on the grill, you should check out this Times report on complaints to the USDA about hot dogs contaminated with foreign objects.

The documents...tell numerous cringe-inducing tales of foreign objects disrupting all-American meals. Band-Aids, a rubber glove, and even a lock washer (used to secure a bolt) are all described in snappy detail.

According to the Times report, plastic is responsible for the largest percentage of complaints. Somewhat disturbingly, the second-highest percentage goes to "Misc."

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Enjoy your cookouts. We'll be back Tuesday (unless the hot dogs kill us.)