Is there an unacceptable way to eat a hot dog?
Theres a wrong way to enjoy a hot dog, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council. (Getty Images)  (NEXSTAR)  Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs on July 4th  and many of those Americans will be doing it wrong, according to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC). The NHDSC, which was established by the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) in 1994, has long celebrated all types of hot dog varieties and condiments. But theres one topping the NHDSC just cant tolerate, and the council is making its feelings known ahead of Independence Day. No matter how you top it, any hot dog is delicious, said NHDSC President Eric Mittenthal in a recent press release. Well, except for [hot dogs] with ketchup. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council etiquette guide says only children should eat their hot dogs with ketchup.  Mittenthals remarks concerning ketchup appear to reflect a long-held belief among members of the NHDSC, too. In a 2008 video produced by the NHDSC, a spokesperson claims that using ketchup on hot dogs is a violation of the cardinal rule of sausage etiquette. Never, ever put ketchup on a hot dog after the age of 18, a spokesperson for the NHDSC says in the video. We all have to grow up sometime.  Acceptable toppings, on the other hand, include mustard, relish, onions, cheese and chili, according to the councils online Etiquette Guide. The NHDSC has previously also voiced its support for other types of toppings, including those found on Chicago-style dogs (sport peppers, tomato, celery salt, pickle spear, etc.). As noted in the Etiquette Guide, theres also a correct order to applying condiments, starting with wet toppings like mustard or chili, and followed by chunky condiments such as onion or sauerkraut, and finishing with shredded cheese and spices. Toppings should always be put on the dog itself, and not between the hot dog and the bun, according to the NHDSC. Thankfully, while there is a wrong way to eat a hot dog, there is no wrong time to do so, according to the NHDSC. In a recent poll commissioned by the NHDSC and NAMI, 9 out of 10 Americans said could eat hot dogs  even ones without acceptable toppings  any time of year.