Whatever happened to the good old days when the worst things we had to fear on the Fourth of July were traffic jams and wayward fireworks? According to our government's Meat & Poultry Hotline, this year's top fear is food poisoning by those nasty E. coli and Salmonella bugs lurking in inadequately grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. Of course, they don't bother to mention that high-temperature grilling that kills the bugs also forms cancer-causing compounds.

Luckily, a bunch of enterprising food manufacturers and processors have met this challenge head-on by developing a great variety of healthful, delicious and convenient veggie burgers and soy dogs. These new foods don't harbor nasty pathogens or cancer-causing compounds. They don't even carry cholesterol, saturated fats, drugs, or pesticides. And, they are available in the frozen food section of every supermarket.

This 4th of July offers a great opportunity to declare our independence from the meat industry and to share wholesome veggie burgers and soy dogs with our family and friends.

Abram Cowald

Auburn