Spam goofed.

The makers of Hawai'i's favorite canned luncheon meat yesterday corrected what it says is a mistake on new labels that exclude Hawai'i from a free T-shirt offer.

The colorful labels on cans of Spam tout the pink meat's 70th anniversary and promote a special T-shirt giveaway. But aloha for Hawai'i is lacking in the fine print, which discloses the offer is "void in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and where prohibited."

It's kind of an ironic snub, given that Hawai'i is the undisputed U.S. champion of Spam consumption, with 6.7 million tins of the luncheon meat sold here each year.

While some states turn up their noses at the ready-to-eat meat, it's embraced as part of the culinary landscape here and with residents eating more than four pounds of the processed food product on a per capita basis each year.

Besides Spam being on restaurant menus here, there's a festival celebrating all things Spam, the Spam Jam. Several years ago when Hormel Foods Corp. began releasing cans carrying collector Spam labels, the Aloha State was commemorated on one.

Yesterday, Spam said the blunder on its three anniversary collector labels was the result of human error.

"We extend our deepest apologies for a labeling error on cans carrying the Spam 70th anniversary T-shirt offer," said an e-mail from Tracy Baldwin, a Burson-Marsteller director in Chicago who helps Austin, Minn.-based Hormel with its public relations.

"The good news is that residents of Hawai'i and Alaska are indeed eligible to receive this offer."

Her e-mail said Spam wants to show its appreciation for residents and support for the brand over the years.

"Spam is extremely honored to be part of Hawai'i's cultural heritage and a key ingredient in some of Hawai'i's most beloved dishes such as Spam and rice and Spam musubi."

The large and extra-large T-shirts are available to people 18 or older who send in three UPC codes from the label and $3 to cover shipping and handling.

Reach Greg Wiles at gwiles@honoluluadvertiser.com.