Not following food safety

When you take the product out of the package and place it in your shopping cart, hot dog safety begins. Hot dogs should be kept cool until you can get them inside your refrigerator because they are considered "cold food" at the moment of purchase. A packet of hotdogs that has not been opened can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks unless the wrapper has a date that specifies otherwise. The USDA states that hot dogs are good for one week after being taken out of the box. Hot dogs can be frozen for up to two months without a major loss in quality.

Hot dogs shouldn't be left out at room temperature for longer than two hours or for an hour in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The USDA advises heating hot dogs until they are at least "steaming hot" before eating them, even if they come completely cooked. By doing this, the danger posed by the deadly bacterium listeria monocytogenes can be diminished.