Luncheon Meat

Name: Luncheon meat — a cooked, cured, finely ground meat product, usually pork, sold in cans or as a sliced loaf, and the best-known brand is Spam (introduced in 1937). It is shelf-stable, salty and savoury, and is eaten in sandwiches, fried, or in dishes such as budae jjigae and Hawaiian musubi.

Description

Spam was introduced by Hormel Foods in 1937, and became widely consumed during World War II, when it was given to soldiers, and fed millions of Allied troops. It remains hugely popular in Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, South Korea, Japan, and the Pacific, where it appears in many local dishes, such as Hawaiian Spam musubi, Korean army stew (budae jjigae), and Filipino breakfast silog.

Luncheon meat is made from pork shoulder and ham, mixed with salt, water, sugar, potato starch and sodium nitrite, cooked in the can. It is a cheap, convenient protein, but high in salt, fat and additives.

Main nutrition value

Processed meats provide protein, but they are typically high in salt and saturated fat, and cured products contain added nitrites. Luncheon meat is very high in salt and fat.

How best to be consumed

Luncheon meat is eaten occasionally, with vegetables.

1. Slice thinly, and fry until crisp, to reduce the greasy texture, for sandwiches and rice dishes.
2. Use sparingly, as a flavouring in fried rice, stews and noodles, with plenty of vegetables.
3. Choose lower-salt, lower-fat versions, if available.
4. Keep unopened cans in a cool place, and refrigerate once opened, using within 3 to 5 days.
5. Do not eat from damaged, bulging or leaking cans.

Overconsumption could cause…

Luncheon meat is a processed meat, best occasional.

1. Higher risk of bowel cancer and other conditions with regular intake of processed meat, which the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies as carcinogenic to humans, because of nitrites, salt and smoking, so keep it occasional.
2. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, particularly in cured, canned and processed products.
3. Nitrites and nitrates used in curing, which can form cancer-linked nitrosamines when cooked at high heat, so avoid charring cured meats.
4. Raised LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk from the saturated fat in fattier cuts, skin and processed products, so choose lean cuts and trim visible fat.
5. Botulism from damaged cans, which is rare but serious.

GroupsProcessed MeatHigh saturated fatHigh sodiumRich in seleniumCured or salted

Related foodsChorizoMeatballsHot DogsChicken NuggetsHamBacon

Wikipedia — Spam (food), used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(food)