020731 Six Billionth Can of SPAM Produced

Austin, MN - In 1937, the first cans of SPAM luncheon meat began to appear on the shelves of grocery stores in the United States.

Sixty-five years later in July 2002, the six billionth can of this convenient, great-tasting canned meat was produced. This 12-ounce can of SPAM was prepared at the Austin (Minn.) plant of Hormel Foods, a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer- branded food and meat products.

The popularity of SPAM luncheon meat has grown rapidly over the years because of its versatility, high quality and taste. The one billionth can was produced in 1959 and the second billionth can was made in 1970, followed by the third, fourth and fifth billionth cans in 1980, 1986 and 1994, respectively.

SPAM is produced in the U.S. at Hormel Foods plants in Austin and Fremont, Neb., which are capable of producing a combined total of more than 44,000 cans per hour. SPAM is also produced in three foreign countries, including Denmark, Korea and the Philippines.

A can of SPAM is consumed in the U.S. every 3.1 seconds. On a per capita basis, residents of Hawaii, Alaska, Arkansas, Texas and Alabama are the most frequent consumers of SPAM in the U.S. Hawaii leads the way with 6.7 million cans sold annually, which amounts to 5.5 cans per year per Hawaiian. Today, SPAMŽ is sold in 41 countries and is trademarked in more than 100 nations on six continents.

The choices of SPAM have continued to expand over the years to meet the desires of consumers. In 1962, a seven-ounce can began to be produced and, in 1971, SPAM smoke flavored was introduced. In 1986, SPAM less sodium was unveiled, in 1992, SPAM lite entered the marketplace and, in 1999, SPAM oven roasted turkey was introduced. In 2000, SPAM hot & spicy began to appear in supermarkets in the South and Southeast U.S.

An entire 16,500-square-foot museum, which opened in September 2001 in Austin, is dedicated to SPAM, and a gift shop at the museum sells a wide selection of SPAM brand items. Much more information about this popular food icon can be found on the Internet at www.spam.com, including a schedule of appearances across the U.S. by the company's three Spammobile vehicles, which serve miniature Spamburger hamburgers.

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