is smithfield bacon processed in china

Is Smithfield Bacon Processed in China? Getting to the Bottom of This Viral Claim

As someone who loves bacon, I was alarmed when I recently came across claims on social media saying that Smithfield Foods, one of the largest pork producers in the US, was sending pigs raised in America to China for processing and slaughter before shipping the meat back to the U.S. Could this possibly be true? Was my beloved bacon being sent halfway around the world before ending up on my breakfast plate?

I decided to dig into these claims and find out once and for all if Smithfield bacon and other pork products are processed in China. Here’s what I discovered.

The Viral Claims A Brief History

Rumors about Smithfield pork being processed in China first started circulating back in 2014 on Facebook and other social media sites. The claims stated that Smithfield Foods had been sold to a Chinese company, and pigs would be raised in the U.S., then slaughtered and packaged in China before being shipped back to America for sale.

These claims spread widely online and continued to pop up periodically over the years. Then, in 2020, the rumors surged in popularity again after a Smithfield pork plant in South Dakota was temporarily shut down due to a COVID-19 outbreak among employees.

Many social media users pointed to the closure as proof that the claims were true – reasoning that Smithfield was supposedly sending pork to China for processing because they had closed down plants in the U.S. However, this conjecture turned out to be false.

Smithfield’s Ownership History

Now let’s look at the ownership history of Smithfield Foods. The claims were correct that a Chinese company had acquired Smithfield years ago – this part is true.

In 2013, Smithfield Foods was purchased by Shuanghui International Holdings Limited, a private, Hong-Kong-based company that is China’s biggest pork producer. The majority shareholder of Shuanghui International is a Chinese meat processing company called Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development.

• 2013: Smithfield Foods is acquired by Chinese company Shuanghui International
• Shuanghui’s largest shareholder is a Chinese meat company called Henan Shuanghui

Despite the Chinese acquisition, Smithfield continued to operate as an American company, with no changes to its pork production other than the new ownership. Next let’s examine if this ownership situation means the pork is processed in China.

What Smithfield and Government Agencies Say

Smithfield Foods has consistently denied that any of their pork products are processed or slaughtered in China. They maintain that all their U.S. pork is processed domestically in Smithfield’s 50+ American facilities, which are subject to inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also confirms that Smithfield does not import any pork products from China for sale in the U.S. The FDA states they have no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging, so the virus outbreak in Smithfield’s South Dakota plant would not be cause for importing pork from China.

Some key facts according to Smithfield Foods and government agencies:

• Smithfield Foods does not import any pork products from China into the U.S.

• All Smithfield pork sold in the U.S. is raised, slaughtered, and processed at Smithfield’s domestic facilities that follow USDA and FDA regulations.

• FDA says there is no evidence COVID-19 spreads through food or packaging.

AP Fact Check Confirms Claims Are False

Further confirmation that the claims are false comes from an Associated Press fact check article published in 2020 examining the Smithfield rumors.

The AP fact check dug into the claims and contacted Smithfield Foods directly. Smithfield’s spokeswoman reiterated to the AP that the claims were completely false, saying “No Smithfield products come from animals raised, processed or packaged in China.”

The AP fact check also contacted the USDA and FDA, both of which assured the AP that Smithfield does not import pork from China and follows all federal regulations for US pork production.

Based on these responses, the AP concluded the viral claims were demonstrably false. Multiple credible sources confirm Smithfield pork is produced in the USA, not China.

No Evidence Supports the Claims

In conclusion, after researching these widespread claims, I found no credible evidence that Smithfield Foods is sending pork to China for processing before returning it to the United States.

Smithfield themselves deny the claims in absolute terms, stating they do not import any pork from China whatsoever. This is supported by statements from government regulatory agencies like the USDA and FDA, who confirm Smithfield’s pork abides by U.S. standards and regulations.

Independent fact checkers like the Associated Press have also ruled the claims false after conducting their own thorough investigations. Despite the continued circulation of these rumors on social media, all signs point to Smithfield pork being 100% made in the USA.

As a bacon lover, I’m relieved to discover these claims are unfounded. When I pick up a pack of Smithfield bacon at the supermarket, I can rest assured it came from pigs raised and processed right here in the good old U.S. of A. No overseas trips to China required!