From college dorms to workplaces to family gatherings and on social media, food debates provoke strong passions. This is especially true for debates about hot dogs and sausages as questions such as “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” and “Should you put ketchup on hot dogs?” have divided friends, family members and even some cities for years. Now, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council (NHDSC) is looking to settle these debates once and for all. Throughout March, NHDSC will encourage hot dog and sausage fans to weigh in and settle its policies on 20 different divisive topics.

“At the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, we get calls and emails every single day from people looking for us to settle their hot dog debates, and as experts, we are always happy to oblige, but we live in a democracy, and it is time to let the hot dog and sausage-loving masses speak,” NHDSC president Eric Mittenthal said.

The debates will be settled on the NHDSC Facebook page, where a new topic will be posted weekdays starting March 5 through the end of the month. There are 20 total hot dog and sausage debates, including:

•         Is a hot dog a sandwich?

•         Does ketchup belong on a hot dog?

•         Which is better for breakfast: sausage links or patties?

•         Is it okay to put fruit or candy in a sausage?

•         Crazy concession concoctions at baseball games, yea or nay?

Each week of the month will have different themes, including hot dog styles and sausage debates, and the event will wrap up with a week of baseball-focused debates heading into Major League Baseball’s opening day on March 29.

NHDSC Facebook fans will also have a chance to win prizes. Those who vote in every debate have a chance to win an NHDSC Wiener Warrior T-shirt and “I Love Hot Dogs” wristband. The person who shares the debates with the most friends during the month of March will also win a gift card for their favorite hot dogs.

The hot dog and sausage debates follow a successful March Madness hot dog and sausage bracket tradition to determine fans' favorite hot dogs and sausages. Last year, hot dog fans chose the Boston Red Sox Fenway Frank as their favorite baseball hot dog. Previously, the West Virginia dog -- topped with mustard, onions, chili and coleslaw -- was a two-time winner of best regional hot dog in the bracket contest.

More details on hot dogs and sausages, including a full hot dog etiquette guide and NHDSC’s take on the hot dog/sandwich debate, are available at www.hot-dog.org.