Few foods provoke more passionate arguments than Spam. Some people love it, some ... don't. But it's clearly popular, because Denmark's Tulip Food Company cranks out more than 130 million tins of canned meat a year.
Photographer Alastair Philip Wiper takes you inside the factory for his latest series. He documented the entire process, from slaughterhouse deliveries to packaging.
The Tulip Food Company, a subsidiary of Danish Crown, opened its factory in Vejle in 1988. Its largest product is Tulip Pork Luncheon, the Danish equivalent of Spam. The cans sell in more than 100 countries including England, Germany, Japan, and the US. The Tulip Food Company also makes canned meat for other brands including, yup, Spam.
When VICE Denmark asked him to visit the factory in June, he wasn't about to say no. He drove the two-and-a-half hours from Copenhagen to Vejle. The factory sits in a rural area smattered with slaughterhouses and other food production facilities. The building spans nearly 250,000 square feet, much of it packed with noisy machines and conveyor belts.
A guide proudly escorted Wiper everywhere, letting him photograph the entire process with his Nikon D810. The factory's fully automated. First grinders chop and mince the meat. Next, machines add preservatives and seasoning, which vary depending on where the shipment goes—consumers in Asia prefer less salt, while those in Central America like some spice. After it's mixed, a filling machine stuffs the pâté into cans, which are boiled at 234 degrees for 70 minutes. When it cools, the product is stacked and shipped around the world, good to go unrefrigerated for at least five years.
The whole thing makes for amazing imagery.
UPDATE: 10 pm PT 09/08/16: This post has been condensed
