The Development of Food in the 1950's: SPAM

A key aspect of the rise of consumer culture in the 1950's was the transformation of the food industry. In my last post I covered the rise of supermarkets within suburban and urban areas. As supermarkets allowed for a drastic change in the way consumers purchased food, the food products sold in supermarkets transformed the way in which people ate. A significant market that gained popularity in the 1950's was canned and processed foods. One of the most popular processed food products was the first meat to be successfully canned and marketed: Spam.
Spam was developed and marketed by the Hormel Foods Corporation of Austin, Minnesota and debuted in 1937. It was marketed to domestic consumer markets throughout World War II, though was primarily used as rations for overseas troops during the war. Over 100 million pounds of Spam were shipped to allied forces over the course of the war.
As the war ended and processed food became increasingly popular in the United States, Spam quickly gained popularity as a household staple. It was praised for its efficiency and ease of use in simplifying the cooking process. As a New York Times article from July 6, 1950 states, "Besides economy and household acceptance, there is another virtue of appeal to all kitcheners at this season - ease of preparation. When all the cooking's been done for you, then there's no need to stand over a hot stove - than which there is no worse abomination in a small city apartment" (Nickerson 1950, 32). Spam is made up of several types of pork, salt, water, sugar, and sodium nitrate. What was lost in the quality of meat was made up for by convenience and efficiency. Though by today's standards that might seem an unfortunate trade-off, the novelty of Spam proved integral in its marketability and success in the 1950's. Above is a recipe calling for canned meat product in the New York Times from 1950.