The reigning hot dog eating champion of the world’s most famous competition has been banned for endorsing a vegan brand.
Joey “Jaws” Chestnut is known for his unparalleled ability to scoff dozens of hot dogs at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual competition that draws thousands to Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.
Mr Chestnut, widely considered the greatest professional eater in history, will not be allowed to compete in next month’s contest after he agreed to a sponsorship deal from plant-based Impossible Foods.
George Shea, the chairman and co-founder of Major League Eating (MLE) – the governing body for numerous competitive eating contests – said that a key condition for all competitors at Nathan’s contest is to “not represent a rival hot dog brand”.
“It would be like back in the day Michael Jordan coming to Nike, who made his Air Jordans, and saying, ‘I am just going to rep Adidas too,’ it just can’t happen.”