Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More

[RJ Connors]

If there is any economic indicator that I have seen to date that clearly says we are in the tank this is it. Drudge has a teaser up about a developing story that says that Homel cannot keep up with the demand.

And when you think about it this is a problem for them as most companies at this point would start looking at expanding production. But with the credit markets frozen up Hormal will most likely be unable to borrow any cash and will have to work with what they have at the moment.

But here's the story. You decide. One final thing. Spam is always better fried.

By ANDREW MARTIN
Published: November 14, 2008

AUSTIN, Minn. — The economy is in tatters and, for millions of people, the future is uncertain. But for some employees at the Hormel Foods Corporation plant here, times have never been better. They are working at a furious pace and piling up all the overtime they want.

The workers make Spam, perhaps the emblematic hard-times food in the American pantry.

Through war and recession, Americans have turned to the glistening canned product from Hormel as a way to save money while still putting something that resembles meat on the table. Now, in a sign of the times, it is happening again, and Hormel is cranking out as much Spam as its workers can produce.

In a factory that abuts Interstate 90, two shifts of workers have been making Spam seven days a week since July, and they have been told that the relentless work schedule will continue indefinitely.

Spam, a gelatinous 12-ounce rectangle of spiced ham and pork, may be among the world’s most maligned foods, dismissed as inedible by food elites and skewered by comedians who have offered smart-alecky theories on its name (one G-rated example: Something Posing As Meat).

But these days, consumers are rediscovering relatively cheap foods, Spam among them. A 12-ounce can of Spam, marketed as “Crazy Tasty,” costs about $2.40. “People are realizing it’s not that bad a product,” said Dan Johnson, 55, who operates a 70-foot-high Spam oven.

Hormel declined to cooperate with this article, but several of its workers were interviewed here recently with the help of their union, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 9. Slumped in chairs at the union hall after making 149,950 cans of Spam on the day shift, several workers said they been through boom times before — but nothing like this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/business/15spam.html?ref=business

[Systematic Chaos]

1. And 12 ounces of lentils and rice are each still under $1.50 last time I checked.

Far better for you too.

[RJ Connors]

2. Thanks for mentioning

I will stock up when I go to the grocery tomorrow.

[tabatha]

8. Make sure it is brown rice and uncanned beans.

[girl gone mad]

16. And store your brown rice in the refrigerator.

so it doesn't go bad as quickly.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. Yes!!!

[Ilsa]

3. Yeah, I ate the stuff when I was growing up. My parents could

barely feed the five of us kids. Spam, potted meat, tuna fish, cheap deli meat, etc kept our tummies happy to some degree. Thank goodness the boys were youngest and my father was making a little more money when they became teenagers. My sisters and I ate alot as teens, not we couldn't compare to the boys. This is really an interesting economic indicator. And food pantries are having to turn people away.

[RJ Connors]

13. I was also raised on a certain amount of spam when I was young

And as much as I hate to admit it when I first read this story the idea of some hot fried spam sounded good. (Keep in mind that it has probably been a good 40 years since I have actually eaten any) But as I faintly recall, the novelty wears off pretty quickly.

[silverojo]

4. First it's Spam, next it'll be dog food

Anybody else having Reagan-era flashbacks here? :scared:

[Sal Minella]

9. Reagan meat & vegetable = Fried Spam with ketchup.

I remember when Reagan wanted ketchup counted as a vegetable in the school lunch programs. I think it was under him that the luxury tax on yachts was struck down?

[RJ Connors]

11. Please, don't talk like that as

our situation IS going to get WORSE before it gets better.

While I think Obama is the leader that America needs at this point in our history. He still has about 40 years of bad policy that will have to be overcome.

[dflprincess]

6. "I don't like Spam!"

However, if you ever get the opportunity, visit the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. It's done with a sense of humor and it's free!

http://www.spam.com/museum/museum_explore.asp

[napi21]

7. I remember eating fried Spam when I was a little kid. I was born in

1943 and I can tell you about a lot of foods that would sound weird to you, but when you grow up with them, they aren't so bad.

[Historic NY]

10. extremely high fat content........

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-hormel-foods-spam-i7276

[kestrel91316]

12. I have always wanted to try Spam musubi, a Hawaiian treat.

I actually have a few cans of Treet, the poultry version of Spam, in my emergency food pantry. Maybe Treet musubi?

[RJ Connors]

14. Well take heart. The answer to your prayers may be at hand. n/t

[Jack_DeLeon]

15. Fried spam is good...

sometimes I will put it and pineapple chunks in my ramen noodles Hawaiian style.

[Citizen Number 9]

17. No worries on a Spam shortage....

Just get 10 oz of lard and 2 oz of salt, mix them together and pack it in a tub. Voila! Spam!

[RJ Connors]

18. Oh! That is disgusting.

But probably true although I do think you have to throw in a smidgen of pork. Leg's be thankful we don't live in the M.E. or we would starve to death.

[Doremus]

19. True, but the smidgeon of pork is actually the entrails and other

disgusting crud that they scrape out of the rendering pot to fill Hormel's purchase order.

Sick and disgusting iced with gelatin. And to think many of us may soon have no other choice.

:puke:

[RJ Connors]

20. I was unaware of that. Thank you so much for clearing that up for me.

But I know what you mean, years ago I knew a guy who worked at a place, which I won't name, that, let's say procured raw product for baloney and hot dog manugactures. Have you ever read the ingredeants on a cheap package of hot dogs? If you haven't, free advice. Don't. :puke: :freak: :beer: :hi:

[Citizen Number 9]

21. Sorry, it IS disgusting...

But I think the poster who mentioned the lentils and rice was on the right track. There are so many better things that can be cheaply purchased and stored. We shouldn't have to gag ourselves with high fat and sodium content just on the concept that we need "meat".

Check out the SPAM nutrition facts - a single 2 oz serving (a little slice from a can) has;

174 calories, of which 137 are from FAT. Almost 80% fat!!

767 mg of sodium (1/3 of your entire daily allowance)

[RJ Connors]

22. LOL, But Spam is the kind of product you don't look at the ingrediants.

It's kind of like cheap hot dogs and/or Balone.