Letters: Beware of barbecued bugs

What happened to the good old days when our worst worries on the Fourth of July were traffic jams and wayward fireworks?

A well-warranted worry, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Meat & Poultry Hotline, is food poisoning by nasty E. coli and Salmonella bugs hiding in hot dogs and hamburgers at backyard barbecues. The hotline’s advice is to grill them longer and hotter. Of course, high-temperature grilling that kills the bugs also forms cancer-causing compounds.

Fortunately, some forward-thinking food manufacturers have solved this problem by creating an amazing assortment of healthy and delicious veggie burgers and soy dogs. No nasty pathogens or cancer-causing compounds in these tasty plant-based foods. They don’t even carry cholesterol, saturated fats, antibiotics or pesticides. And they are conveniently waiting for us at almost every supermarket.

This Fourth of July offers a great opportunity to declare our independence from the meat industry and to share wholesome veggie burgers and soy dogs with family and friends.

This story was originally published July 3, 2016 at 6:22 PM with the headline "Letters: Beware of barbecued bugs."