It’s the city that invented one of America’s most iconic foods… now it’s facing a cancer explosion

It helped feed soldiers in World War II and fueled generations of American lunches —but the birthplace of Spam may now be paying the price. 

Austin, Minnesota — proudly nicknamed ‘Spam Town USA’ — is a quiet city of about 25,000 tucked in the state’s southern farmland 

It was here in 1937 that Hormel Foods launched its iconic canned meat, a blend of pork, ham, and preservatives that would become a global brand. 

Once a booming company town built around meatpacking jobs, Austin today is grappling with a health crisis: cancer.

While cancer rates in Austin are statistically in line with the statewide average, according to the Minnesota Department of Health and the National Cancer Institute, they mirror a grim statewide trend.

Cancer has now overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in Minnesota.

Experts say it’s not just a coincidence: it’s a warning sign tied to lifestyle, diet, and the kinds of ultra-processed foods that once put towns like Austin on the map. 

Over 37,000 Minnesotans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2025, and more than 10,000 will die from the disease, according to state projections.

In Austin and similar towns, where processed meat manufacturing is central to the local economy and culture, questions are emerging about the long-term health consequences of the very products that made them famous. 

‘While it would be scientifically inaccurate to say that Spam causes cancer, there are some well-documented health concerns associated with processed meats, including Spam, that are worth noting,’ said Dr Darin Detwiler, a food safety expert who has advised both the FDA and USDA.

Then even the factory conditions have been known to causes illnesses.  

In 2006, Austin experienced a series of unexplained illnesses among workers at the Quality Pork Processors meatpacking plant, which supplies pork to Hormel Foods, the makers of Spam. 

The symptoms included fatigue, pain, weakness, and numbness. A neurological disease was later linked to the ‘head table’ where workers blow pig brains out using compressed air, potentially inhaling misted brain matter. 

Mayo Clinic researchers identified an antibody in the affected workers that was targeting their nerves. 

Spam was invented as a clever solution to a business problem: how to profitably use pork shoulder, then considered a waste cut. 

Hormel’s answer was a canned meat made of pork, ham, salt, water, modified potato starch, and sodium nitrite. 

The mixture is ground, formed into blocks, cooked, and sealed under the now-famous blue-and-yellow label. 

The gelatinous glaze is achieved using meat stock that congeals during cooling. 

Spam quickly became a Depression-era staple and later a military ration, celebrated for its long shelf life and versatility. 

Today, more than 1 million cans are consumed annually in Minnesota alone. 

Austin is still home to Hormel’s headquarters and a popular Spam Museum, and the product remains a beloved fixture on local menus — in sushi-style musubi, deep-fried strips, breakfast pancakes, burgers, and more.

But the science behind processed meats tells a more troubling story. 

In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified processed meats — including Spam — as Group 1 carcinogens.

That puts them in the same category as tobacco and asbestos in terms of the strength of evidence linking them to cancer, particularly colorectal cancer. 

‘Consuming about 50 grams of processed meat daily — about one-third of a can of Spam — has been associated with an 18 percent increased risk of colorectal cancer,’ Dr Detwiler told DailyMail.com.

‘The concern is with ingredients like nitrates and nitrites, which can form carcinogenic compounds, and with cooking methods that produce harmful chemicals.’ 

Dr Marion Nestle, a leading nutritionist and former professor at New York University, echoed those concerns. 

‘Processed meats are associated with cancer risk. Spam is processed,’ she said. 

In addition to cancer, Spam’s nutritional profile raises red flags for other chronic conditions. 

A 100-gram serving contains 315 calories, 27 grams of fat (including 10 grams of saturated fat), and 1.4 grams of sodium — more than 80 percent of the recommended daily intake for both saturated fat and salt. 

That’s a serious concern in a state where two-thirds of adults are already overweight or obese, and where type 2 diabetes and heart disease are also on the rise.

Yet in Austin, where Hormel is not just a food brand but a major employer and source of local pride, Spam remains deeply embedded in daily life.

Food vendors and diners across town continue to offer creative Spam dishes, and the annual Spam Jam festival draws crowds from across the region.

Dr Detwiler says occasional consumption isn’t likely to harm most people — but routine, long-term intake is another story.

‘Occasional consumption in moderation is unlikely to pose serious health risks for most people,’ Dr Detwiler said.

But the greater concern is with routine, long-term consumption, especially as part of a diet low in fiber and fresh produce.

Hormel Foods did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Mail.

Public health officials stress that no single food is to blame for the cancer epidemic sweeping Minnesota. 

But with high rates of cancer persisting even in small towns like Austin — places that helped build the processed meat industry from the ground up — many experts believe it’s time to reconsider the foods we’ve long taken for granted.