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Times must be hard – Americans are buying Spam again
TimesOnLine ^ | December 6, 2008 | Mike Harvey

Posted on 12/07/2008 8:07:40 AM PST by vietvet67

In times of trouble the United States has historically turned to a tin of pink processed meat to see it through – and so it is again that sales of Spam are soaring as the recession bites.

They have shot up by more than 10 per cent in the past three months and the Hormel Foods Corporation has had to introduce a double shift at its factory in Austin, Minnesota, seven days a week to keep up with demand.

Spam costs only about $2.40 (£1.65) for a 12-ounce tin and keeps for ever, which earned it the slogan: meat with a pause button. Hungry consumers, desperate to cut back on spending but keen to put meat on the table, have been buying the product that “helped win the Second World War”.

The rise coincides with a record level of Americans using food stamps, the programme that helps the needy to buy food. More than 31.5 million Americans used the stamps in September – up by 17 per cent from a year ago, according to government data.

Spam was invented during the Great Depression by Jay Hormel, the son of the founder of the company. It is a brick of ham, pork, sugar, salt, water, potato starch and a hint of sodium nitrite “to help Spam keep its gorgeous pink color”.

Austin advertises itself as Spam-town and it boasts 13 restaurants with Spam on the menu. Johnny’s Spamarama menu includes eggs benedict with Spam for $7.35.

Employees are working flat out and next door the slaughter house butchers 19,000 pigs a day. “People are realising it’s not that bad a product,” said Dan Johnson, 55, who operates a 70ft (20m) oven in the factory.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: economy; food; hormel
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To: Doogle

Yep, that is a good one too.


21 posted on 12/07/2008 8:24:01 AM PST by Dustbunny (Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. The Gipper)
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To: FBD

Spam Musabi....hmmmmm (cue Homer)


22 posted on 12/07/2008 8:24:15 AM PST by Illuminatas (Being conservative means never having to say; "Don't you dare question my patriotism")
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To: Electric Graffiti
Photobucket
23 posted on 12/07/2008 8:24:53 AM PST by ladyvet (WOLVERINES!!!!!)
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To: Brett66

$1.89 a can for Spam Lite at Wal-Mart.


24 posted on 12/07/2008 8:25:05 AM PST by Dustbunny (Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. The Gipper)
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To: All

Spam is the only pork product that I am absolutely sure is safe to eat for fear of worms.
I love it browned in butter then tossed in with some eggs and cheese, a dash of dried onions and some quality fresh ground black pepper, Tabasco is always an option.

Seriously America is in a world of hurt, we need to live on protein not rice, granted a vegetarian can get enough protein but I am not a cud chewer.

Since I live in Alaska I have meat on the hoof literally with moose grazing on my property, I shot one almost 10 years ago and it supplied meat to my family for almost two years, I think its time to consider another harvest.


25 posted on 12/07/2008 8:25:39 AM PST by Eye of Unk (Americans should lead America, its the right way.)
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To: napscoordinator
I guess stats don't lie, but I find it really hard to believe that we are really in this bad of shape. I mean yes we all have worthless 401K’s and stocks but really do people really need to resort to Spam???

Maybe a lot of people are stocking up. Spam lasts forever. If there were some sort of catastrophe, you wouldn't go hungry.

26 posted on 12/07/2008 8:26:29 AM PST by DejaJude (Proud denizen of the fighting fringe.)
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To: driftdiver

They should rename all the networks and papers to the Doomsday Channel.

Shoot. It is going to be called the Sunshine channel on 20 January. But your post is totally valid and true.


27 posted on 12/07/2008 8:26:52 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: Keith in Iowa

>”Pork Fat Rules!”<
ha! Yeah, dress it up a little bit, and it’s not too bad.


28 posted on 12/07/2008 8:27:23 AM PST by FBD (My carbon footprint is bigger then yours)
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To: DejaJude

That is a good point.


29 posted on 12/07/2008 8:27:25 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: napscoordinator
Question: "I think this is another story engineered to ensure that the entire United States Population believes that we are so bad that in one year when we are through with this cycle, Obama will be the Savior of America. Can this really be what is going on????"

Response: I have had the same suspicians. It is tragic but one cannot believe the media reports. I saw a media creature say now we go to New York where thousands are hungry. The guy at the soup kitchen( a black) refused to be lead and said "we were up in October but we are down in November(meaning the number of meals served)and we are not as high as last year," You should have seen the look on the media creatures face.

30 posted on 12/07/2008 8:28:50 AM PST by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: napscoordinator
Question: "I think this is another story engineered to ensure that the entire United States Population believes that we are so bad that in one year when we are through with this cycle, Obama will be the Savior of America. Can this really be what is going on????"

Response: I have had the same suspicians. It is tragic but one cannot believe the media reports. I saw a media creature say".... now we go to New York where thousands are hungry. The guy at the soup kitchen( a black) refused to be lead and said "we were up in October but we are down in November(meaning the number of meals served)and we are not as high as last year," You should have seen the look on the media creatures face.

31 posted on 12/07/2008 8:29:32 AM PST by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: river rat; All
And I remember SOS. As a kid I liked it.



32 posted on 12/07/2008 8:29:52 AM PST by vietvet67
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To: DejaJude
I loved it as a kid and still like it now. Spam and eggs ymmm.

My mom used to dice it and put it in scrambled eggs. (good stuff)

33 posted on 12/07/2008 8:30:31 AM PST by dearolddad
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To: ladyvet

but I DON’T WANT ANY SPAM!!!!

spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam WONDERFUL spam

SHUTUP!!


34 posted on 12/07/2008 8:31:02 AM PST by Electric Graffiti
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To: river rat

“I can’t possible be the only old man who can remember when a can of Spam represented the best meal we’d had in weeks.”

No, you are not, there are at least two of us. I can also remember when cracklins (grattons for you Cajuns) and a baked sweet potato were a treat.


35 posted on 12/07/2008 8:33:18 AM PST by Peter Horry (We shouldn't accept things just because somebody says so .... Dixie Lee Ray)
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To: river rat
I can’t possible be the only old man who can remember when a can of Spam represented the best meal we’d had in weeks.

That's why I loved it as a kid. Sometimes all we had was bread, butter and sugar. After a week of butter and sugar sandwiches, Spam was a treat.

36 posted on 12/07/2008 8:33:44 AM PST by DejaJude (Proud denizen of the fighting fringe.)
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To: Dustbunny
“$1.89 a can for Spam Lite at Wal-Mart.”

Spam Lite? I buy it when it see Kosher Jews buy it!

37 posted on 12/07/2008 8:36:58 AM PST by TRY ONE (NUKE the unborn gay whales!)
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To: river rat

Everyone in my immediate family either was a Marine or married one. Spam is a treat. A slice of Spam fried to a crisp makes a great sandwich. If you never lived on C-rations for months on end, you will never understand Spam lovers.


38 posted on 12/07/2008 8:39:13 AM PST by chesty_puller (70-73 USMC VietNam 75-79 US Army Wash DC....VietNam was safer.)
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To: DejaJude

“That’s why I loved it as a kid. Sometimes all we had was bread, butter”

Now, if it had been my grandfather’s homemade butter on one of my mother’s biscuits (made from stratch) you wouldn’t be complaining.


39 posted on 12/07/2008 8:40:24 AM PST by Peter Horry (We shouldn't accept things just because somebody says so .... Dixie Lee Ray)
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To: vietvet67

And SPAM is the ultimate Muslim repellent and Jihadi detector!


40 posted on 12/07/2008 8:41:41 AM PST by helpfulresearcher ( Bipartisanship is just a PC word for Collaborating with the Enemy)
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