Smithfield Foods Inc. set the record straight this week regarding its smokehouse in Smithfield, Va., that produces Genuine Smithfield Ham, saying reports that the smokehouse is closing have been “sensationalized and exaggerated.”

Keira Lombardo, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Smithfield Foods, said the company has no intention of ceasing production of Genuine Smithfield Ham. "No company representative has ever said otherwise,” she added.

Lombardo explained that the company simply closed one of the oldest buildings in the large Virginia complex while it evaluates the best site to produce Genuine Smithfield Ham going forward.

“Consumers needn’t worry. We have plenty of Genuine Smithfield Hams in inventory,” she stated, adding that the supply affords the company the opportunity to assess alternatives for producing the product while continuing to supply hams to loyal consumers.

Additionally, Lombardo said the smokehouse employees have been relocated to another facility on the Smithfield, Va., campus.

“Thank you to our consumers for the outpouring of love for our Genuine Smithfield Ham,” said Kenneth Sullivan, Smithfield president and chief executive officer. “Contrary to recent media reports, we are not discontinuing our Genuine Smithfield Ham. In fact, we have always been committed to continued production of this beloved product in Smithfield, Va., the town we’ve called home for more than 80 years.”