Joey Chestnut Barred From Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Due to Vegan Sponsor Beef

It’s the end of an era for Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, with 16-time champion Joey Chestnut deemed unable to compete in the beloved July 4 event after signing with a vegan brand.

Major League Eating said in a statement on Tuesday that it had been “devastated to learn” of Chestnut’s betrayal: choosing to represent “a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.”

Though the organization did not name the rival brand, the New York Post reported that Chestnut had recently gone into business with Impossible Foods.

Read more at The Daily Beast.