Page 50 - Food&Drink Business Magazine July-August 2020

WHAT’S IN
COVID-19 has put more pressure on Foodbank Australia than ever before. Leading F&B companies are stepping up to meet the increased demand.
Big brands dig deep
FOLLOWING devastating bushfires and the pandemic, some of Australia’s largest food and beverage manufacturers are helping Foodbank meet the growing demand for food relief.
Foodbank Australia CEO Brianna Casey told Food & Drink Business the organisation has experienced a 78 per cent increase in demand for food relief. “Foodbank exists to
fight hunger in Australia, year-round, not just during disasters. We were already assisting 815,000 people a month before the devastating summer bushfires, and before the impacts of COVID-19
took hold,” Casey says.
“Foodbank has an excellent support network of food and
grocery donors and other corporate supporters that help us provide food relief in a ‘normal’ month to more than 815,000 Aussies.
“These are no longer ‘normal’ times and generous regular donations from our retail supporters, food and grocery manufacturers and farmers, continue to help with supply, but demand for food relief just continues to increase.”
Companies announcing additional support this year include Nestlé, which donated $2 million in products, such
as coffee, cereals, and meal bases. Since April, Kellogg increased its donations by
one tonne per month while PepsiCo donated an additional
$480,000 as part of its $42 million global pledge to help those facing food insecurity.
Unilever ANZ contributed $1 million worth of essential homecare, personal care and food products. McCain Foods selected Foodbank among a range of food relief organisations to share in its 250,000 meal donations.
Latina Fresh, a subsidiary of General Mills, is supplying 60 pallets of its Spinach and Ricotta Agnolotti, which equates to around 45,000 meals. The supply has been made specifically for Foodbank.
Meanwhile, the maker of Leggo’s pasta sauce, Simplot Australia, has provided 85,500 jars of Napoletana pasta sauce.
“We are incredibly thankful to our wonderful national donors – new and existing who have supported us through drought, bushfire and now COVID-19; we couldn’t do what we do without their support,” says Casey.
In 2019, Foodbank sourced 77 million meals for its charity partners, helping those who need it most. ✷ ✷
ABOVE: Foodbank Australia has experienced a 78 per cent increase in demand for food relief over recent months.
LEFT: General Mills will supply 45,000 meals of its Latina Fresh Spinach and Ricotta Agnolotti.
✷ ADVERTISER LIST
Advance Conveyors 42 AMS Instrumentation 19 APG Workforce 21 Australasian Medical & Scientific 47
Australis Engineering Heat and Control
HRS Heat Exchangers ANZ Hydro Innovations Hydroflux Industrial
KHS Pacific
Krones
Matthews Australasia McCormick Food Australia Mettler-Toledo
MTI Qualos
Nord
Plasdene Glass
Romer Labs
Roxset
Selpak
Vega Australia
Visy Technology Systems
43 35, 42, 43 27 39 2 51 25 9 17 11 41 5 52 15 45 42 Cover 42
50 | Food&Drink business | July/August 2020 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au