TallowTallow
SPAM Classic, 12 oz

Classic, 12 oz

5Avoid

Contaminants · 18

1 at/over limit

Measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Bisphenol a (BPA)18 ppbof 1 ppb
Over the limit — 18×EU Reg. (EU) 2024/3190 — BPA banned in food-contact materials from 20 Jan 2025 (old 0.05 mg/kg SML repealed); the residual exemptions require NO detectable migration at a 1 ug/kg detection limit. 1 ppb is therefore the tightest published number.
Dibutyl Phthalate7.67 ppbof 120 ppb
6% of the limitEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — DBP SML 0.12 mg/kg (cut from 0.3). Also inside the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit (DBP x5).
Di (2-ethylhexyl) Terephthalate0.112 ppmof 60 ppm
<1% of the limitEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — DEHT (FCM 798) SML 60 mg/kg, group restriction with DINCH. No tighter published limit exists (EFSA TDI 1 mg/kg bw/day).
Benzylbutyl PhthalateNDof 6 ppm
Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — BBP SML 6 mg/kg (cut from 30). Also inside the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit (BBP x0.1 = 6 mg/kg alone).
BpfNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedNot on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), and Reg. 2024/3190 restricts hazardous bisphenols; no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.
BPS (Bisphenol s)NDof 50 ppb
Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — BPS (4,4'-sulphonyldiphenol) SML 0.05 mg/kg; BfR applies the same 0.05 mg/kg.
Di-n-octyl PhthalateNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedDNOP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP)NDof 6 ppb
Not detectedUS EPA drinking-water MCL, 40 CFR 141.61(c) — 0.006 mg/L. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published DEHP number; the EU food-contact limit is looser (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442: SML 0.6 mg/kg, plus the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit with DBP/BBP/DIBP).
Dicyclohexyl PhthalateNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedDCHP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.
Diethylhexyl AdipateNDof 18 ppm
Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — DEHA (FCM 207) SML 18 mg/kg.
DiethylphthalateNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedDEP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.
Dihexyl PhthalateNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedDNHP (di-n-hexyl phthalate, EU Repr. 1B) is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.
Diisobutyl PhthalateNDof 150 ppb
Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 2023/1442 group restriction — DBP x5 + DIBP x4 + BBP x0.1 + DEHP <= 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalents, so DIBP alone may not exceed 0.15 mg/kg. DIBP is not itself an authorised substance.
Diisodecyl AdipateNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedDIDA (diisodecyl adipate) is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.
Diisodecyl PhthalateNDof 1.8 ppm
Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — DINP+DIDP group SML 1.8 mg/kg (sum). Applied to each alone.
Diisononyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic AcidNDof 60 ppm
Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — DINCH (FCM 775) group restriction with DEHT, 60 mg/kg. No tighter published limit exists (EFSA TDI 1 mg/kg bw/day).
Diisononyl ortho PhthalateNDof 1.8 ppm
Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — DINP+DIDP group SML 1.8 mg/kg (sum). Applied to each alone.
DimethylphthalateNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedDMP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Ingredients · 6

GoodCautionAvoid

,,,,,

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Common questions

Is SPAM Classic, 12 oz healthy?

SPAM Classic, 12 oz scores 5/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in. It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

What is in SPAM Classic, 12 oz?

SPAM Classic, 12 oz lists 6 ingredients, starting with Pork With Ham, Salt, Water, Modified Potato Starch and Sugar. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

Does SPAM Classic, 12 oz contain seed oils?

No. Nothing in SPAM Classic, 12 oz’s ingredient list matches a seed oil — canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran or peanut oil, or an unspecified "vegetable oil".

How processed is SPAM Classic, 12 oz?

SPAM Classic, 12 oz is NOVA group 4: ultra-processed. That is the top of the scale and the classification the score penalises most heavily.

How does SPAM Classic, 12 oz compare to other canned goods?

At 5/100 SPAM Classic, 12 oz scores worse than most canned goods we have scored. A higher-scoring option in canned goods is Trader Joe's Organic Garbanzo Beans Made with Sea Salt at 98/100.

Is SPAM Classic, 12 oz organic?

SPAM Classic, 12 oz is not certified organic in our data.

Has SPAM Classic, 12 oz been lab tested?

Yes. 18 substances in SPAM Classic, 12 oz have a laboratory result on file — see the Contaminants section above for each reading and the limit it was measured against.

Does SPAM Classic, 12 oz contain phthalates?

Yes. A lab detected dibutyl phthalate at 7.67 ppb against a 120 ppb limit in SPAM Classic, 12 oz. That reading is under its limit. It tested for 10 other phthalates and found none above its detection limit. Each reading is in the Contaminants section above.

Full methodology: how we score products.

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