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

Eating bacon for breakfast is a time-honored tradition for many Americans. The sizzling salty slices of pork goodness pair perfectly with eggs pancakes, and other morning favorites. But there’s an unsettling rumor going around that calls the origins of our bacon into question. Is Smithfield bacon, one of the largest bacon producers in the U.S., actually processed in China before being shipped back to American grocery stores? I decided to dig into this controversial claim and get to the bottom of it.

The Claim: Smithfield Sells Chinese-Processed Bacon

The concerning rumor first started circulating on social media back in 2020. A viral Facebook post declared that the Virginia-based pork producer Smithfield Foods was selling bacon and other pork products that were raised and slaughtered in the U.S., then shipped all the way to China for processing and packaging before being sent back to the States for distribution and sale.

Understandably, this sparked significant outrage and alarm among American consumers who had thought they were supporting the domestic pork industry and getting high-quality American-processed meat. The post urged patriotic bacon lovers to boycott Smithfield’s “Made in the USA” labeled bacon and other products that may have been outsourced to China.

This disturbing claim triggered a flurry of anxious discussion online as people tried to ascertain whether it could possibly be true. Given the popularity of Smithfield bacon at grocery stores and restaurants across the county, it was an alarming allegation that needed to be thoroughly investigated.

Parsing the Facts of Smithfield’s China Connection

After digging into the details behind this viral Facebook post it quickly became clear there were several inaccuracies being spread. While Smithfield Foods does have a connection to a Chinese company that does not mean that America’s bacon supply is suddenly being produced overseas. Here are the key facts

• In 2013, Smithfield Foods was acquired by WH Group, a Chinese pork company formerly known as Shuanghui International Holdings. However, Smithfield continues to produce American-made pork as a wholly owned subsidiary.

• Smithfield has publicly asserted that all their pork products are raised, processed, packaged and distributed entirely in the U.S. They do not import any pork from China.

• The Smithfield facility that produces bacon and other pork for American consumers is located in Smithfield, Virginia along with many other plants around the country. There are no Smithfield owned and operated processing plants in China.

• The USDA and FDA confirmed there is no evidence of Smithfield outsourcing their pork processing to China or importing Chinese-processed meat products back into the U.S. market. All food safety and labeling regulations still apply.

So while a Chinese company does now own Smithfield Foods, all indications suggest that Smithfield bacon – as well as their other pork products – sold in American stores are still 100% made in the USA from American hog farms.

Why the Confusion?

So where did this misleading claim that Smithfield was processing pork in China originate from? It seems to have stemmed from a combination of misunderstanding Smithfield’s Chinese ownership along with general anxieties about globalization and foreign takeovers of American companies.

The timing also played a role. The concerning social media posts really took off during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. With China being the original epicenter, some consumers became even more suspicious of Chinese connections to American food production.

Of course, the reality is that Smithfield continues operating as normal, supplying bacon and other pork favorites to American consumers just as they always have. But the alarmist rhetoric tapped into a fear of foreign encroachment on quintessential American food products.

The Takeaway: Keep Enjoying American-Made Bacon

While Smithfield’s Chinese ownership may still trouble those with concerns about foreign companies controlling vital U.S. food producers, current evidence indicates American bacon lovers can rest assured that their sizzling slices are still 100% made in the USA. So keep enjoying your bacon without worry – Smithfield pork products are still produced domestically regardless of who owns the company on paper.

The social media frenzy over potentially tainted Chinese bacon raised important conversations about transparency and maintaining self-sufficiency in key domestic industries like food production. However, the specific claims of Smithfield outsourcing pork processing to China and compromising bacon quality proved unfounded. American-made bacon remains alive and well.