Spam Goes to War: Just the Numbers, Please

 From the World War II Encyclopedia   "Spam"

As America entered World War II, Spam luncheon meat (SPiced hAM) --  first introduced in 1937 -- played a crucial role overseas.  With Allied  forces fighting to liberate Europe, Hormel Foods provided  15 million cans of food to troops each week.

Spam immediately became an important part  of a soldier's diet and earned much praise for feeding starving  British and Soviet armies as well as civilians.  It needed no refrigeration and could be served cold or cooked in any number of ways.

It also became popular with British and American homefronts since all "real" meats were rationed.  Spam was not rationed.

World War II generated  a huge boost for Hormel Food sales.  Between 1939 and 1942, its net sales  doubled to almost $120 million and annual pork processing reached an all-time high  of 1.6 million head, mostly because of Uncle Sam.

By 1944, 90% of all of Hormel canned goods were going to military forces or military aid programs.  The following April of 1945, more than 100 million pounds of Spam luncheon meat had been shipped abroad.

--SpamGen