Stocking up on SPAM

[formercia]

http://www.off-grid.net/2008/12/03/stocking-up-on-spam/

— by Wretha @ 03 Dec 2008
I’m not talking about those unrequested emails that seem to always clog your inbox. It seems that Hormel is having to work overtime to make enough Spam, lately there has been a big run on Spam. The different news sources say it’s because of hard times, but I have to wonder how many preppers and others are seeing the writing on the wall.

Either way, stocking up on foods, especially foods that do not need to be refrigerated, is certainly a good idea. What would you do if, Heaven forbid, you weren’t able to go to the grocery store? There could be lots of reasons why you couldn’t go to the grocery store, could be natural causes, a bad storm, flooding, icy conditions, wild fires, hurricanes, or man made conditions, fuel shortages, riots, police or military action, doesn’t really matter though, if you can’t get to the store, then you will have to make due with what you have on hand.

--snip--

My family had an encounter with Spam as a survival food many years ago, I will not elaborate as to why, but many years before Y2K, many many years before, during the cold war with Russia, there was a small group of us who believed that nuclear war was inevitable and coming soon, so we began to stock up on provisions to survive for an extended period of time without having to leave our homes. We stocked up on water, food, toiletries, and some other needed items. All the things we thought would get us through at least a month or more.

--snip--



As a footnote. When I was in the Navy, one of my shipmates told me of his experiences working in a factory where SPAM was made. He told me that if I ever wondered why SPAM smelled like pee when it was fried, it was because a major ingredient was cattle penises and Uterus of cattle, among other things.

Like they used to say at Swift: Everything but the squeal.

[Submariner]

1. 16,000 pigs a day slaughtered for SPAM

I met a guy whose daughter is in charge of making sure that the 16k pigs make it to the Hormel factory daily. Evidently there are a slew of pig farms under contract to deliver X amount of pigs per day to Hormel, so she is involved in making sure all the artificial insemination takes place on time so delivery volume stays on schedule.

We didn't get into the ingredients too much, but I thought he emphasized it was just pig products in the Spam.

I spoke to the guy about 8 years ago, so they may be making even more Spam now.

[formercia]

2. According to this, you are correct

http://www.cusd.claremont.edu/~mrosenbl/spamfacts.html

Was he pulling my leg, or what?

[Turbineguy]

3. Spam...

the Caviar of Mystery Meat.

[formercia]

5. It doesn't turn grey

like the mystery meat we used to get in the school cafeteria.

[xloadiex]

4. The grocery store I go to is selling out

The spam shelf was bare about 2 weeks ago. This week they had a big special display. More than half of it was already gone. My brother-in-law Just started a job as a manager of WalMart after he was laid off from Target. (I know, but it's better than being without a job when you have 5 kids)He confirmed that Spam is flying off the shelves along with Kraft macaroni and cheese. They can't stock either one fast enough. A sign of the times.

[Dr.Phool]

6. Or Vienna Snausages!

I usually keep about a 3 week supply of dry and canned foods for hurricane season. And about 10 cases of bottled water.

This year, I doubled my supply. But no Spam. Only because I couldn't find any at Costco.

[formercia]

7. That reminded me of a quote:

Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.
Otto von Bismarck