Won't tell you which city I'm in, but I have been watching all the BIG BOX stores to see what items if any are either low or missing off the shelves.

Until today, there was NO ITEM related to Y2K that was in shortage.

Now there is, and you can't say it's related to Halloween or Xmas.

It's Klik and Kam luncheon meat, made by Maple Leaf Packers, that is totally OUT, even in the LITE versions, in one very major food superstore here. These items are cooked pork, minced and canned.

There is still lots of SPAM, though, because it is about 70 cents more for the same size can.

And NO, there was NOT a sale on these out-of-stock items.

Also, still lots of corned beef canned, both no-name and name -brand. Will keep you updated.

-- profit of doom (doom@helltopay.ca), October 29, 1999

Answers

In my area it is hunting season and most camps are stocking up and getting the food supply for the rest of the year. In every camp you will find tons of canned meat/and a fully stocked kitchen (most with a camp cook). Just one hunter can empty a shelf of canned meat. That is the staple of hunter's pack. Most camps do not eat all of the meat that they hunt because the meat is butchered and divied up at the end of the season to the members.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), October 29, 1999.

One brand of Spam-wannabe is out of stock and you post it as FIRST SHORTAGES APPEAR HERE ??? I mean, I have been waiting a long time for the herd to move, but I am hardly on the edge of my seat from this "event."

Most likely they all went out of date because they sat there so long.

Nothing personal, profit, but posts like this make us look like idiots.

-- semper paratus (always@ready.now), October 29, 1999.

We've got TP and rice back on the shelves. SPAM, when on sale, and not rationed, goes quickly.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), October 30, 1999.

Never heard of this crap, maybe they just got rid of the crap I would call dogfood. This is a civilized country and we have better quality stuff than spam copies.

-- ChefTRD (doomer@gloomer.com), October 30, 1999.

Local Home Depot and clones can't keep generators in stock. But, that could be more a reflection of the time of year, a very cold climate, and memories of prolonged ice-storm power outages not that many years ago. However, they are stocking up on those refrigerator-sized floor safes and selling them as fast as they get them. Don't know what to attribute that to, other than Y2K. The Home Depot manager said he's never had this happen before.

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), October 30, 1999.

Now where did I put that book,,,, 1001 ways to prepare spam.

Carol is right, spam and the bush could be mentioned in the same breath.

Personally fried is the only way I like it. With some onions of course.

Corned beef is way better for taste. Mix it up like hamburger and wip up a hash.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), October 30, 1999.

Profit.....

Holy Crap Man!! You mean that stuff is really hard to get. I think I'll kill myself without that gourmet meat. I had to wrestle my dog for some of that a few weeks ago.

We have a major shortage of "peenarcle dribblings" here. Now there is a real gourmet treat.

-- (dopey@duh.com), October 30, 1999.

Time to be on the lookout for this years supply of Danish canned hams at the local drug stores. Average price $1.5-2. A little better than SPAM, no refrigeration, last about 3 years stored properly. Cubed up it can be added to soup, rice dishes, eggs, etc... I bought about 25 of them last spring with exp. date of 2002.

-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), October 30, 1999.

Seems like I read something about the meat producers in Europe putting raw sewage in the cattle feed? Hope this isn't one of the 'banned' brands in those countries. Anybody got the definitive answer on that??

-- Porky (Porky@in.cellblockD), October 30, 1999.

>> SPAM, when on sale, and not rationed, goes quickly. <<

Apparently, Hawaii is by far the biggest customer for Spam of any state in the USA. It is unusually popular all through the Pacific islands.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), October 30, 1999.

Bill--I saw some of that canned ham yesterday at Long's Drugs for $1.89 a can. Canned SPAM has an eternal shelf life! WalMart restocks the SPAM shelf everyday. We have deer hunting here but because of recents fires, it has kept many of them away. I think the first mention of shortages by the media will be the time we will really see a shortage of TP, etc. Food prices have risen in recent months and getting a bargain will be challenging.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 30, 1999.

One more note on SPAM and other canned meats. Look on the label and see where they are produced and canned....hint...NOT IN THE USA!

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 30, 1999.

Product of Brazil.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), October 31, 1999.