Is State Fair Healthier Than Foster Farms? Both 20% Sodium

Neither label shows one corn dog as clearly healthier: both list 20% DV sodium per corn dog. State Fair Classic lists 220 calories and 6 g protein per 76 g corn dog, and Foster Farms Honey Crunchy lists 7 g protein and 6 g added sugars per 75 g corn dog.

Both corn dogs list 20% DV sodium per corn dog, but their labels differ on meat listing, added sugars disclosure, protein, and curing agents. This article sets those label facts side by side and does not pick a winner. The figures come from each brand's own product page, and any detail a page does not print is marked as not disclosed.

Key takeaways

• Sodium: 490 mg (20% DV) for State Fair Classic per 76 g corn dog, and 470 mg (20% DV) for Foster Farms Honey Crunchy per 75 g corn dog.
• Added sugars: the State Fair Classic added sugars line shows no value, while Foster Farms lists 6 g (12% DV).
• Protein: 6 g for State Fair Classic and 7 g for Foster Farms Honey Crunchy, each per corn dog as stated by each brand.
• Curing agents: both frank ingredient lists include sodium nitrite, but a second ingredient listing on the same Foster Farms page names sodium nitrate, so check the exact package.

What Meat Is in State Fair Classic Corn Dogs vs Foster Farms Honey Crunchy Corn Dogs?

State Fair Classic franks list mechanically separated turkey and chicken, pork, and beef (beef in the 2% or less group); Foster Farms Honey Crunchy franks list chicken only.

The State Fair Classic product page says the corn dog is made with turkey, chicken, and pork, without by-products. Its ingredient list also names beef, but beef appears in the group listed at 2% or less, alongside salt and flavorings. The page does not disclose what percentage of the frank each meat makes up.

Under the label term 'Chicken frank ingredients', Foster Farms Honey Crunchy lists mechanically separated chicken as its only meat. The Foster Farms Honey Crunchy product page says its corn dogs contain no by-products, no artificial colors, and no added hormones or steroids. A footnote adds that federal regulations prohibit added hormones and steroids in poultry.

Are State Fair Classic Corn Dogs Beef or Pork?

They contain both, along with turkey and chicken: pork is listed as an added meat, and beef is in the 2% or less group. The brand does not disclose the share of each meat.

What Are the Foster Farms Honey Crunchy Corn Dogs Ingredients?

The Foster Farms Honey Crunchy batter lists enriched flour, sugar, dried honey, and soy flour; the chicken frank lists chicken, water, salt, corn syrup (2% or less), and sodium nitrite.

The full batter list includes water, enriched flour, sugar, yellow corn flour, enriched degermed yellow corn meal, soy flour, leavening, soybean oil, salt, egg yolk, potato flour, egg white, dried honey, and artificial flavor. The corn dog is fried in vegetable oil.

The full frank list includes mechanically separated chicken, water, salt, corn syrup in the 2% or less group, potassium lactate, potassium acetate, spices, sodium phosphate, sodium diacetate, flavorings, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, and may contain calcium alginate casing. The page states that it contains wheat, soy, and eggs.

How Much Sodium Is in Each Corn Dog and How Does It Compare to %DV?

State Fair Classic lists 490 mg sodium (20% DV) per 76 g corn dog, and Foster Farms Honey Crunchy lists 470 mg sodium (20% DV) per 75 g corn dog. Under FDA's per-serving definitions, 20% DV or more is classified as high, so both corn dogs fall in the high range.

The FDA sets the Daily Value for sodium at less than 2,300 mg per day, and 5% DV or less per serving is classified as low. Both printed values sit well above that low threshold.

FDA also notes that over 70% of dietary sodium comes from packaged and prepared foods, which is one reason per-serving sodium is printed on the label. The brand pages do not disclose whether deep-frying or microwaving changes sodium, so this section does not compare cooking methods.

Readers who want to compare other meat products by sodium can look at Hebrew National vs Nathan's: Sodium 480 mg vs 400 mg for a different pair of franks.

Are State Fair Classic Corn Dogs Healthy?

The brand pages do not state whether either corn dog is healthy; State Fair Classic lists 490 mg sodium (20% DV) per 76 g corn dog. That printed sodium is one label fact among several on each panel.

Why Does State Fair's Added Sugars Line Show No Value While Foster Farms Lists 6 g?

State Fair Classic's Added Sugars line shows no value, so the amount is not disclosed; Foster Farms Honey Crunchy lists 6 g added sugars (12% DV) per 75 g corn dog. The State Fair page lists total sugars of 7 g per corn dog, and Foster Farms lists 6 g of total sugars.

FDA sets the Daily Value for added sugars at 50 grams per day. Foster Farms' 6 g therefore corresponds to 12% DV on its panel.

The State Fair batter ingredient list includes sweetener (honey, wheat starch). The amount is not disclosed on the brand page, so shoppers should look for the printed value on the package they buy.

How Much Protein Does Each Corn Dog List, and What Serving Size Applies?

State Fair Classic lists 6 g of protein per corn dog (76 g), and Foster Farms Honey Crunchy lists 7 g of protein per 75 g serving. The State Fair brand page states that each corn dog contains "at least 6 grams of protein."

The serving sizes and container counts also differ. State Fair Classic is listed as 22 servings per container with a serving of 1 corn dog (76 g). Foster Farms Honey Crunchy is listed as 36 servings per container with a serving of 1 corn dog (75 g).

The State Fair page also gives preparation guidance for young children: for children under 5, remove the stick, cut the corn dog lengthwise, and then cut it into small pieces. The labels do not describe how protein or other values change with a different preparation method, and that detail is not disclosed.

Which Curing Agents Are Listed in Each Frank?

The State Fair Classic frank lists sodium nitrite and sodium diacetate, along with potassium lactate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The Foster Farms Honey Crunchy frank lists sodium nitrite and sodium diacetate, along with potassium lactate, potassium acetate, sodium phosphate, and sodium erythorbate.

The same Foster Farms product page also shows a second ingredient listing that names sodium nitrate instead of sodium nitrite. The page does not explain the difference. Shoppers should check the exact package in hand rather than assume the listing matches another version.

• State Fair Classic frank: sodium nitrite, sodium diacetate, potassium lactate, ascorbic acid
• Foster Farms Honey Crunchy frank: sodium nitrite, sodium diacetate, potassium lactate, potassium acetate, sodium erythorbate
• Foster Farms second listing on the same page: sodium nitrate in place of sodium nitrite

For a parallel comparison of nitrite labeling in another frank brand, see Do Ball Park Franks Have Nitrites? Yes, So Do Oscar Mayer's.

Do the Two Corn Dogs Differ in Calories, Fat, and Batter Ingredients?

State Fair Classic lists 220 calories per corn dog, while the Foster Farms Honey Crunchy calorie figure of 160 appears only in its FAQ, not on the nutrition panel. The table below shows the printed values on each brand page.

Label item	State Fair Classic (1 corn dog, 76 g)	Foster Farms Honey Crunchy (1 corn dog, 75 g)
Calories	220	160 (FAQ only; no calorie line on panel)
Total fat	11 g (17%)	9 g (12%)
Saturated fat	3 g (13%)	2.5 g (13%)
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	25 mg (8%)	30 mg (10%)
Sodium	490 mg (20%)	470 mg (20%)
Total carbohydrate	23 g (8%)	18 g (7%)
Dietary fiber	0 g	1 g (4%)
Total sugars	7 g	6 g
Added sugars	Line shown with no value	6 g (12%)
Protein	6 g	7 g
Calcium	40 mg (4%)	30 mg (2%)
Iron	1 mg (6%)	0.8 mg (4%)
Potassium	Not listed	130 mg (2%)

The batters differ in ingredient detail. State Fair's batter includes modified wheat starch, onion powder, dried whole egg, and nonfat dry milk, and the corn dog is cooked in vegetable oil. Foster Farms' batter includes soy flour, egg yolk, potato flour, egg white, and dried honey, and the corn dog is fried in vegetable oil.

The calorie figure for Foster Farms is not printed on its nutrition panel, and the brand page does not show that panel's calorie line. Readers should check the package label for the calorie count on their own product.

How Can Shoppers Compare These Labels Side by Side at the Store?

Start with the serving size and the sodium line, then check the added sugars line and the protein line on the same package. These values can differ between container sizes, so compare per corn dog when you can.

• Serving size and servings per container
• Sodium in mg and %DV on the same serving
• Added sugars line, including whether a value is printed
• Protein per serving
• Nitrite or nitrate in the frank ingredient list
• Allergen statement and preparation instructions