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SPAM ingredients: what's banned overseas?

Parent company: Hormel Foods Corporation

About SPAM

SPAM is a canned cooked pork product produced by Hormel Foods, sold at grocery chains, mass retailers, and convenience stores across the US since 1937. It is one of the most iconic and widely distributed canned meat products in the world. SPAM is produced in a single US factory in Austin, Minnesota, and exported globally.

Common concerns with SPAM products

SPAM contains sodium nitrite as a curing agent, sodium — a 2oz serving contains approximately 790mg of sodium (34% of daily value). The original SPAM also uses modified potato starch, water, and salt as bulking agents. Sodium nitrite in SPAM carries the same WHO/IARC processed meat carcinogen concern as other cured meat products. Some SPAM varieties (Lite, Less Sodium) partially address these concerns. The extremely high sodium per serving is the most immediately documented health concern.

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