The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert due to canned SPAM.
Hormel Foods Corp. Services LLC, the producer of the affected SPAM, notified the USDA that they had inadvertently shipped products that may not have been adequately processed.
The issue came to light when the company itself reported the lack of quality control, raising concerns about the effectiveness of its internal monitoring systems. The affected SPAM was primarily stored by HEB in Texas, and so far no other retailers appear to have been affected.
The SPAM in question was produced on August 17 and has a best before date of August 2026. The lot code for the affected product is A08173, which is printed on the bottom of the cans. In addition, the product bears the establishment number “EST. 199” within the USDA mark of approval.
Read the public health alert below:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issues a public health alert for canned meat products due to underprocessing. FSIS is issuing this public health alert to ensure that consumers are aware that this product should not be consumed. No recall has been filed because it is believed the product is no longer available for consumers to purchase.
The canned meat product was produced by Hormel Foods Corp. on August 17, 2023. Services, LLC, based in Austin, Minnesota. The following product is under public health alert [view labels]:
- 12-oz. metal cans containing “SPAM Classic” with “BEST BY AUG 2026” date and lot code A08173 printed on the bottom of the can.
The product bears location number “EST. 199” within the USDA mark of approval. The product involved in this alert was shipped to HEB store locations in Texas; no other retailers are involved in this alert.
The problem was discovered when the company reported that they had accidentally shipped products that may not have been processed sufficiently to achieve commercial sterility.
There are no confirmed reports of side effects resulting from the consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.
FSIS is concerned that some products may end up in consumers’ pantries or refrigerators. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be discarded or returned to the place of purchase.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify that recalling companies are notifying their customers of the recall and that steps are being taken to ensure that the product is no longer available to consumers.
The news was not well received by consumers, below are some reactions:
“Spam has fed millions, possibly billions, since World War II. All you health nuts should just stick to your so-called organic, hormone-free proteins and stop scaring those of us who don’t believe in your nonsense.”
“BS…they are creating a distraction to keep people from stocking up on canned goods because when the hammer falls you are more likely to be dependent on the government.”
“USDA… They are okay with synthetic and industrial chemicals in your food, won’t mention the country of origin and three year old children are growing boobs. People are having more physical and psychological problems (thanks to some help from the FDA)….but they are “WORRIED” about SPAM!?….GTFOH.”
“It was good enough for our military in time of war… it has stood the test of time. I love my spam, mustard and cheese sandwich!”