FOOD NEWS
Stop Believing This Common Spam 'Fact'
By C.A. Pinkham
Spam, one of Hormel Foods' most famous products, has a controversial reputation. When you have a divisive product, people inevitably start believing things that may not be true.
Many people gossip about Spam, and some believe its name is an acronym for something like "Scientifically Processed Animal Matter" or "Special Processed American Meat."
There's also the idea that it means "spiced ham" — a fabrication Hormel once leaned into. However, none of those are ultimately true, and the name doesn't have a secret meaning.
Hormel now insists on Spam's website FAQ that the product's name is a mystery "known by only a small circle of former Hormel Foods executives."
The name was conceived by actor Ken Daigneau, the brother of a Hormel executive, at a New Year's Eve party where he won a $100 prize for his winning name.
He already had the moniker holstered, later admitting he'd come up with it previously and held onto it because he liked how it sounded, so "spam" doesn't really mean anything.