Stop pigging out

MANILA, Philippines - There’s just something about hotdogs. Whether on a stick, in a bun, on a plate, wrapped in cornmeal, splattered with condiments, or served with scrambled eggs, they’re a virtual staple of the Pinoy diet. Its appeal spans generations and cuts across demographic lines. And despite the bad rap it has gotten for allegedly being one of the most fat-laden and unhealthy food items known to man, hot dogs’ popularity has not waned. 

Swift, makers of delicious hotdogs, leads the charge towards healthier hotdogs by going where no other hotdog-maker has gone before. In a daring and unprecedented move, the entire Swift hotdog range is now pork-free.

PANIC OVER PORK

For years now, health practitioners have been advocating for a drastic decrease of pork from our diet.   “The first thing we must reduce in our food intake is pork,” says nutritionist Edel Navarette, RND. “Much of this concern stems from the high cholesterol content of pork. “Each gram of pork has 1.27 grams cholesterol.”    It is also higher in omega 6 fatty acids and lower in the more-beneficial omega 3 fatty acids, causing a higher predisposition towards coronary artery disease, hypertension, arthritis, cancer, and other inflammatory and auto-immune diseases such as diabetes. These are just some of the major health issues that have been raised against pork. Because of these concerns, Swift decided to shift from pork to other healthier alternatives such as beef and chicken. 

Gelli de Belen-Rivera, mom to Joaqui and Julio, and Swift brand endorser, agrees that kids should indeed have less pork on their fork and makes sure that her sons are given nutritious and well-balanced meals. “We usually snack on hotdogs while doing homework,” she shares. “Joaqui likes it because it tastes good.”

Gelli, like most moms, always considers what’s best for her kids and their proper growth and development. Swift hotdogs are also fortified with other vitamins and minerals essential to good health. Swift Sweet ‘N Juicy hotdogs are fortified with vitamin A (also called retinol) that helps the body neutralize free radicals that can damage cells and tissue functions; while Swift Mighty Meaty contains vitamins A and B1 (or thiamin) that help the body convert blood sugar into energy.

Swift hotdogs are also enriched with soy protein, a vegetable protein that contains all the amino acids essential to human nutrition. “It helps increase the nutritional value of food and reduce cholesterol levels, thus eliminating the risks of heart-related diseases,” says Navarette.

While the shift from pork to beef and chicken was indeed necessary, it was also a major test. “The major change is in the formulation — from pork to a combination of beef and chicken. But the real challenge was in ensuring that the taste and quality of the hotdogs will remain the same. And we were able to achieve this,” explains Ellen Almendraga, Swift manager for research and development