Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Lifestyle
Paige Freshwater & Abbie Meehan

People are just realising what SPAM actually stands for after 86 years

A popular choice for US soldiers during World War Two, SPAM is now a product that is sold in 48 countries worldwide.

The meat was created back in 1937 by the Hormel Foods Corporation in order to increase the sales of pork shoulder - a cut of meat that didn't sell well, reports the Mirror.

The brother of a Hormel Foods vice president, Ken Daigneau, won a competition - with a prize of $100 - for naming the SPAM brand at the time.

However, people have been pondering ever since then as to what this 'acronym' actually stands for. One confused Reddit user even asked: "What does the acronym SPAM (meat) mean to you?"

In response, one user said: "Shoulder Pork and Meat."

SPAM was created by Hormel Foods Corporation in 1937 (Getty)

Another user added: "Spare Parts of Animal Meat... At least that's what us kids called it."

And a third noted: "Salted Pork Aggregated Meat."

According to the brand, however, SPAM is not an acronym, but is more like a portmanteau. This is a made-up word which is made from a combination of two or more existing words - like brother and romance create 'bromance'.

A statement reads: "There are some questions that continually plague man over time. Questions like 'Is there intelligent life beyond Earth?' And 'What is the meaning of the SPAM brand name?'

"Unfortunately, we can provide answers to neither. The significance of the SPAM brand name has long been a subject of speculation. One popular belief says it's derived from the words 'spiced ham.'

"The real answer is known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives. And probably Nostradamus."

Those who have read this statement before added to the Reddit thread, as one said: "It's a portmanteau, not an acronym, isn't it? SPiced hAM."

Another user added: "Spiced ham. Originally that’s what it’s called but people came up with dumb names for it: 'specially preserved army meat' and 'American meat'."

SPAM creators also put an end to another myth, as they shared the ingredients used to make their processed canned pork that is renowned for its saltiness.

Their statement added: "Ah, the age-old question; what is the meat in that special can of SPAM Classic? Many myths abound, but the answer is actually quite simple.

"Six simple ingredients - pork with ham, salt, water, potato starch, sugar and sodium nitrite."

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter here .

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.