As some of you may know, I grew up in Trinidad and my family (myself included) were practicing Hindus. This meant that beef or pork (although pork isn’t prohibited) was never on the menu. I never had the pleasure of indulging in a medium rare steak, having crispy bacon with my hops bread and eggs, or slathering on the mustard on hot dogs just off the grill. Eventually I think the carnivore inside me realized that bacon makes everything better and I started eating things that weren’t allowed way back then. I never knew bacon could bring me so much pleasure.
Grilling up a batch of hot dogs
When my kids were growing up I made sure they were exposed to my Trinidadian food but every so often, when we didn’t feel like cooking, a pack of barbecued hot dogs would be the perfect dinner. We knew they weren’t the healthiest things to eat, but I believe in moderation. It wasn’t an everyday, or even an every-week meal, so I didn’t think it was so bad.
As we became more aware of how we should be eating, we started paying closer attention to ingredient lists. A lot of them were just a long list of chemicals yet we were consuming them, and giving them to our kids. The food science people said they were safe to eat, but were they really? How could all those chemicals be safe? We started cutting back and eventually stopped buying hot dogs altogether. We’d still have them occasionally whenever we were at a barbecue but that was about it.
CEO of Maple Leaf Foods, Michael McCain
My feelings towards hot dogs have changed over the past couple of weeks. Why? I recently attended an event hosted by Maple Leaf Foods at their corporate offices in Mississauga. At that event they showcased their revamped products and shared their new manifesto. The manifesto itself is written in very simple and clear language but it gives us the direction that Maple Leaf intends to take their products. According to CEO Michael McCain:
“The words in that manifesto were engineered over a twelve to eighteen month time frame and it’s so profoundly important to us. It becomes the guidepost for what we intend to do for generations in terms of the food and what it represents.”
Basically it states that moving forward, Maple Leaf Foods will no longer have ingredients in their products that the average consumer cannot pronounce, there will be no artificial flavourings, and that they’ll only use natural ingredients. To further demonstrate what they mean by “natural ingredients”, check out this list of their old vs. new ingredients.
The old vs. new ingredient list
Not only has Maple Leaf Foods taken a different path as far as ingredients goes, the company has also set one of the most aggressive environmental goal of any food company out there today. They plan to have a 50% reduction in their footprint by 2025 which will be achieved by reducing their water utilization, energy used, and their greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve had so much success since they set that goal and started reducing their footprint that they may actually be ahead of schedule by a couple of years.
It will be a long journey for a company as big as this but based on what CEO Michael McCain mentioned, there is no turning back. They’ve listened to their consumers and have made significant investments in re-developing their products.
I’m not sure if you guys have seen this video as yet, but i think its a very cute way of letting consumers that it’s out with the old and in with the new.
Disclaimer: This post is in partnership with Maple Leaf Foods but all opinions expressed are 100% my own.
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Opened up a package of hot dogs yesterday and they smelled like fish. Has anyone else noticed this? Not sure what has changed with these hot dogs but they were almost inedible! Gross! I know they are using sea salt now but did they add fish with it? Very disappointed in the change in taste and price.
Author
Please reach out to the company directly as I am not an employee.
I am very disappointed that wieners don’t swell when boiling them anymore. What changed? Are they made of plastic or something?
Author
I do not work for the company. Please contact them directly with your question.
got a pack of maple leaf weiners,thought we would try them out,
ended up having to put two of them on one bun!!!!!
they were expensive and can’t imagine putting the traditional birthday with these extra small on a regular sized bun! Very expensive! and very disappointed!!
Author
Hi There, I do not work for Maple Leaf, please reach out to the company directly with any complaints that you may have.
I’m VERY disappointed that you have ceased making the “Schneider’s ” Original ALL BEEF RED HOTS”. Those were the “only” weiners I ever bought! I was very annoyed, when all their weiners were pork weiners. There is definitely, NO COMPARISON! So it has been a few years now, since I have purchased a package of weiners, anybody’s weiners, because y ou could not beat the taste of a Schneider’s Hot Dog! Oh! How I miss those hot dogs cooked over the outdoor fire! Still want to know why, it changed? Not everything old is bad!!!
Thank You,
Marg
I’ve wanted this question answered ever since you couldn’t buy Schneiders Original, All Beef Red Hots went missing!
Author
Sorry to hear that but I am not an employee of Maple Leaf Foods and I do not represent them in any way. I was invited to learn about their products. If you want to talk about their products then you should contact the company directly.
I will NEVER buy another product from Maple leaf foods. Shame on the CEO blaming anyone for the shooting down of the Canadian civilian aircraft other than the Iranian regi regime responsible. Patriotism as well as intelligence is definitely not a trait practiced by this company. Goodbye. Your product carries that negative inaccurate blaming energy. Yuk!
Author
Thank you for your comment but there are a couple of things you are incorrect about. First of all it was a Ukrainian aircraft, not a Canadian one, but there were many Canadians on the plane.
Secondly, you mentioned patriotism. Mr. McCain is a Canadian citizen who is the head of a Canadian company. Is he being unpatriotic because he criticized Donald Trump? Please explain that to me.
While the hot dogs are fine, this is the most blatant, obvious, disingenuous puff piece I’ve ever read. It’s no wonder comments here assumed you worked for the company. Truly would not surprise me if you just re-wrote a list of talking points handed to you in a memo by Maple Leaf Foods.
When you look in the mirror tonight, I want you to reflect on the fact you have somehow ended up a blatant corporate shill. It seems like at some point you aspired to be an actual author rather than simply a shill, so maybe it would be a good time to reflect and orient yourself towards some new, higher goals.
All the best.
Author
First of all thank you for taking the time to respond to something I wrote over a year and a half ago.
Did my comments about not eating hot dogs when I was growing up come from a corporate handout? How about the one about us buying them, was that from the handout? Wait I know, the one about giving them to my kids that was in the corporate handout, right? If a company is talking about reducing their footprint and actually doing it, then of course I’m going to mention it. If a company is changing up their product to only use ingredients that most people would be familiar with then hell yes, I’m going to mention it. Does that make me a corporate schill? Not once did I say that you or anyone else should go out and buy their product.
Anyhow, thanks again for taking the time to come up with such a thoughtful comment.
All the best.
your hot dogs suck they taste like saw dust mixed with rancid meat . I grew up eating your hot dogs and so did my children now they are a lot smaller and only 10 to a pack You guys really dropped the ball this time.You changed your product to make a few happy while the majority liked them the way they were
Author
Hi, I am not an employee of Maple Leaf nor have I ever been one. I was invited to their event as a blogger. I suggest you contact the company directly with your complaints.
My husband has always been a maple leaf fan, unfortunately he can’t stand them now! There is no flavour and they leave a bad after taste in your mouth. I think when you made them healthier eating you removed some of the ingredients that gave them their great Taste. Oh well our snack days with maple leaf are over I guess. It is curious though when something tastes good and sells well, why on earth would you change it? Bad move as I see it!
Author
Thank you for your comment. I cannot speak for Maple Leaf since I am not an employee. I was invited to try the new products. You should reach out directly to Maple Leaf with your concerns.
Oh my…. what happened to Maple Leaf Weiners….. loved them forever but not any more!
there is absolutely no taste to them… please bring back the old ones…
😩😩😩
Author
Thanks for your comment Casey, but I do not work for Maple Leaf, I was just invited to the launch of the product.
not happy with Maple Leaf, always enjoyed their all beef hot dogs and did eat them in moderation. Sometimes good taste is important, new ML hotdogs taste terrible. Good bye hot dogs.
Ever since Maple Leaf discontinued the All Beef Top Dog wiener, I’ve been forced to buy the American Schneiders All Beef….
Maple leaf’s Chicken and Pork hot dogs not eatable in my opinion, epic fail…..
Bring the old all beef recipe back, and perhaps I might come back as well.
Author
Thank you for your comment but I am not an employee of Maple Leaf. I was invited to their launch event for their new products. Please reach out to Maple Leaf directly to voice your opinion.
I would like to know .. why did the company go from a nice even dozen wieners to 10 wieners? Hot dog buns are sold as a dozen to a pack .. you would have thought the hotdogs would be too.
Author
Hi, I think you should reach out to Maple Leaf foods with that question since I don’t actually work for them, I was just invited to their event.
I used to like your red hots but now I find them disgusting. I’ve noticed they say all pork now and there a lot different in taste. I really don’t like chicken wieners or hot dogs with chicken as an added ingredient. That’s why I enjoyed red hots but I guess I won’t be buying hot dogs at all. Companies need to stick with tradition !
Author
Thanks for your comment but I want to let you know that I do not work for the company. I was just invited to an event where they were introducing their new product lineup.
Your commercial with the toddlers who don’t want to eat is fantastic! I’ve seen it more than 20 times and I laugh every time. It’s so exactly how children behave and the voice-over is spot on. I’ve asked many people if they’ve seen it. My daughter rarely sees commercials because they use Apple TV to exclude them. Is there somewhere I can find the ad on-line to show her for a shared laugh?
Author
Hi Wendy, thank you for your comment. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that commercial but now I want to! I wanted to let you know that I don’t work for Maple Leaf Foods, I’m just a local blogger who was invited to learn about their new formula and try their new products so I can’t say where you can see that commercial. Have you tried looking on YouTube? I’ve found a ton of stuff on there that I couldn’t find elsewhere.
Best of luck on your search and please let me know if you do find it.
Do Top Dog originals contain MSG? My daughter is allergic to it-some swelling of the tongue, etc.-and really wishes she could enjoy a hot dog once in awhile.
Author
I am not an employee of Maple Leaf so I cant speak about the ingredients. I don’t see MSG on the ingredient list but I suggest you contact them directly and they should be able to tell you for sure.
I know your on about Maple Leaf but the also own JM Schneider’s.
The hot dogs they are putting out now under the Schneider’s name taste like sawdust.
J.M Schneider’s never in all their years made an all pork hot dog,it was beef and pork.
I know I used to do the meat formulating for them,and never seen all pork before.
What is Maple Leaf trying to do?The commercial that is on tv right now make me wanna gag as they state they are doing it the traditional way.
I say stop buying J.M Schneider’s hot dogs there not what they once were.
My family spent over 35 years at the plant on courtland ave in Kitchener.
Thanks
Author
Thanks for your comment. First of all I am not an employee so I cannot speak to the ingredient list of their other brands. Secondly, I am “on” about the Maple Leaf brand because I was invited to sample and learn about their new ingredient list for their Maple Leaf products and this is what my article is about. Not once did I talk about the Schneider’s brand so I don’t see what relevance your comment has to the article.
You ruined the taste of your product
I used to only buy exclusively maple leaf weiners…the 80s and 90s and up to last year were my favorite to bbq and eat. Now..they are disgusting…kind of bitter and corky in texture. As far as I am concerned…jordans red frankfurters are the way I go now..much better taste and texture…good bye to a much loved brand for me.
Sounds awesome but I wish they would leave out the sugar. I’ve only found two products without the sugar but it’s a great step in the right direction.
Sorry to say I find the new hotdogs awful, I new as soon as I opened the package. The smell turned me off and the taste is awful.
Only had them once in awhile but will now move on to find another brand after all these years.
Author
Sorry to hear that.
I agree, I’ve stopped buying since discontinuing the “all beef” TopDog
Maple Leaf wieners are gross & no longer palatable.
Have already found a diffeeent brand for Maple Weiners. New recipe might be easier to read but tastes like crap. Bye Bye Maple Leaf for your pr strategy that leaves a bitter taste.
They are awful. Made me sick. They don’t even taste like a hotdog.
Author
Sorry to hear that you got sick, but please contact the manufacturer themselves. I am not an employee of Maple Leaf Foods.
I get the whole healthy thing and the need for change.
But they just don’t taste good anymore and leave a biiter aftertaste, thst they never used to.
Nit to mention, they cut two dogs per package, and slightly reduced the thickness of each wiener on top of that, and left the cost the same,
I’m disappointed, but I do understand why it was done, but I am done as well. Like classic coke, maybe someday we will get back our old hot dogs, healthy or not,
Ooh I love that Maple Leaf is doing this! I’ve started getting really serious about my health and what I’m putting into my body and had all but written off hot dogs but now I’m reconsidering these! Definitely glad they are only using natural ingredients!
Author
I was glad to see all the chemicals gone. It was scary how many ingredients were in there.
I love hotdogs, often eat them while watching movie at home. Would love to try this Maple leaf ones, knowing about their ingredients that’s pretty awesome. I’d order some for sure!
Author
I love their line “If you can’t pronounce it, you won’t fond it in our ingredient list.”
I’m loving this! I love hotdogs but don’t eat them often because of all the crap they contain. I’ll def be giving these a try.
Author
Same here so I was glad to hear that they took out all the crap.
Author
Thank you. I’m glad you like them.
I agree that these foods are not that healthy for everyday consumption but after all your taste buds do deserve a treat sometimes.
Author
Exactly, everything in moderation.
Yum. BBQ season and begun and these hot dogs need to be on the grill.
Author
I couldn’t agree more!!
Awesome! Grilled hotdogs will always be my favorite but always taken aback since I know that it’s not that good for my body! It’s so cool to know that they’ve chosen different ingredients to make it more healthier!
Author
I love their tagline: “If you can’t pronounce it you won’t find it in out products”.
Great news! I feel like so many foods nowadays are overly processed and I hope this move sends the message to other companies to head in the right direction also!
Author
I hardly ever bought them because of all the chemicals.
This is so interesting! It sounds like maple leaf is going in the right direction! I hate it when I look at an ingredient list and have no idea what it all is.
Author
A lot of consumers are happy they did this.
Glad to learn some fact about Hot Dog, one of my favorite and comfort food and really glad Maple Leaf Foods has reinvented Hot dog.
I have always cringed at the idea of hot dogs. You hear people say they add snouts and toes and tail and anything left into them. This post makes me feel better at serving them to my family!! Maple Leaf is a leader in delicious meats for sure!
Author
Yes, I’ve also heard the stories of all the mystery meat that goes into them but at least those were parts of the animal. I’m glad to hear that the chemicals are gone, to me that was more scary than a snout or a tail.
This makes me feel a little better about having a hot dog supper every now and then! Who wants to eat ingredients they can’t pronounce? Not me. Way to go Maple Leaf!
Author
I hardly bought hot dogs myself but I was impressed to hear about the changes and the fact that a huge corporation like this actually listened to their consumers.
Finally! I’m glad to see them rolling out more natural foods. As somebody who’s been trying to eliminate preservative-laden processed foods from our diets, this is a welcome change. I’ve had the natural bacon and it’s YUMMY.
Author
I agree, and I love the fact that they’re putting the list of ingredients on the front.