Humble hot dog 'should be redesigned to cut choking hazard'

New York, Feb 23 (ANI): Hot dogs must be redesigned to prevent choking deaths among kids, American pediatricians said in a new policy statement.

According to USA Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics wants a label cautioning parents that the food item poses a choking hazard to young children, reports The New York Daily News.

"We have laws and regulations in this country that require warning labels to be placed on toys that pose choking hazards, and we have systems that monitor and recall consumer products that pose a risk," said Nationwide Children's Hospital's Dr. Gary Smith, who directs the Center for Injury Research and Policy, in a statement. "However, there are no such regulations on high-risk foods and children are much more likely to put food in their mouths than a toy."

As per the AAP, many foods thought to be "kid-friendly" are actually a great choking risk. Besides hot dogs, such foods include popcorn, grapes and nuts. But hot dogs are a particular hazard, Smith says.

"If you were to design the perfect plug for a child's airway, you couldn't do much better than a hot dog," he said in a statement.

"It will wedge itself in tightly and completely block the airway, causing the child to die within minutes because of lack of oxygen." (ANI)