Food banks have a tough time sourcing meat donations, but thanks to Giant Food Stores’ Meat the Needs program, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank is able to provide meat to its clients and partner agencies.
Nine years ago, Joe Arthur, executive director, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB), approached Giant Food Stores about the urgent need for meat donations. After working with executives and the USDA, they responded and are fulfilling some of the food bank’s need.
At Giant, perfectly edible meat was ending up in the landfill, but the company needed to overcome its concerns about protecting its brand, food safety and logistics obstacles to donate leftover meat.
John MacDonald, vice president of marketing for Giant Landover, was in on those initial conversations as a member of the CPFB board of directors.
“We had to get buy-in from the organization and say this is what we want to do and this is how we want to do it,” he says. Fortunately, they were of good mind to say yes that’s great, let’s meet this need.”
By freezing the meat, just as consumers do when they can’t consume it right away, the company is able to extend the product life and donate it to local food banks.
Giant worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more than a year to develop the protocol for protecting the cold chain and maintaining food safety. In 2008, they started with a pilot of one store, and today the company donates 12,000 pounds of meat (a truckload) to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank every week. Giant’s “Meat the Needs” is now standard operating procedure in all its stores and it has expanded to include all 750 Ahold banner stores, including Martin’s Food Markets, Stop & Shop and Giant Landover. They work with six to eight food banks in their operating areas to donate the meat to people in need. Those donations equal millions of dollars that were previously going to waste.
Arthur says food corporations can be hesitant to donate highly perishable items such as meat for risk management reasons. Unfortunately, wholesome food that could help needy families is sent to landfills instead of being donated to food banks.
“The USDA inspection service approved the protocol for this program,” Arthur says. “USDA wants to see more of these meat rescue programs, and Giant is willing to share the protocol.”
When meat is near its sell by date, Giant associates pull it off the shelves, scan it out of inventory and immediately freeze it. The frozen meat is then packaged into banana boxes, which work out well for packaging and squaring off the truck load. A driver backhauls the meat on a refrigerated truck to Giant’s distribution center, which delivers it to the food bank once a week.
“By taking advantage of things that are readily available, the cost to this organization is minimal, but the benefit is very, very large to the community,” MacDonald says.
CPFB serves central Pennsylvania from its modern warehouses in Harrisburg and Williamsport. All new inventory delivered to the warehouse is scanned and updated into its inventory. Through an online portal, partner agencies can see the inventory available and place their orders. The meat is stored in CPFB’s large freezer space until an order is placed for it. Refrigerated trucks deliver it to partner agencies, who also have freezer space to store it until a family takes it home. The cold chain is always maintained, so they’ve had no issues with food safety.
“Protein is the most needed item,” Arthur says. “It doesn’t sit in our freezer very long before it goes out on a refrigerated truck to the food pantries.”
Giant’s willingness to donate meat to the food bank has helped many needy families through the years, but Arthur says they are always in need of more donations. He encourages other supermarkets to work with the food bank to begin donating. Weis Markets recently started a pilot with the food bank to donate its leftover meat.
“I challenge our competitors to do this,” MacDonald says. It just takes the will and fortitude to do it. It’s about the people who need it. I think companies will say, why didn’t we do this 10 years ago?”
If you are interested in keeping meat out of the landfill and donating it to your local food bank, please contact Joe Arthur, executive director, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, at 717-724-3180.
Nine years ago, Joe Arthur, executive director, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB), approached Giant Food Stores about the urgent need for meat donations. After working with executives and the USDA, they responded and are fulfilling some of the food bank’s need.
At Giant, perfectly edible meat was ending up in the landfill, but the company needed to overcome its concerns about protecting its brand, food safety and logistics obstacles to donate leftover meat.
John MacDonald, vice president of marketing for Giant Landover, was in on those initial conversations as a member of the CPFB board of directors.
“We had to get buy-in from the organization and say this is what we want to do and this is how we want to do it,” he says. Fortunately, they were of good mind to say yes that’s great, let’s meet this need.”
By freezing the meat, just as consumers do when they can’t consume it right away, the company is able to extend the product life and donate it to local food banks.
Giant worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more than a year to develop the protocol for protecting the cold chain and maintaining food safety. In 2008, they started with a pilot of one store, and today the company donates 12,000 pounds of meat (a truckload) to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank every week. Giant’s “Meat the Needs” is now standard operating procedure in all its stores and it has expanded to include all 750 Ahold banner stores, including Martin’s Food Markets, Stop & Shop and Giant Landover. They work with six to eight food banks in their operating areas to donate the meat to people in need. Those donations equal millions of dollars that were previously going to waste.
Arthur says food corporations can be hesitant to donate highly perishable items such as meat for risk management reasons. Unfortunately, wholesome food that could help needy families is sent to landfills instead of being donated to food banks.
“The USDA inspection service approved the protocol for this program,” Arthur says. “USDA wants to see more of these meat rescue programs, and Giant is willing to share the protocol.”
When meat is near its sell by date, Giant associates pull it off the shelves, scan it out of inventory and immediately freeze it. The frozen meat is then packaged into banana boxes, which work out well for packaging and squaring off the truck load. A driver backhauls the meat on a refrigerated truck to Giant’s distribution center, which delivers it to the food bank once a week.
“By taking advantage of things that are readily available, the cost to this organization is minimal, but the benefit is very, very large to the community,” MacDonald says.
CPFB serves central Pennsylvania from its modern warehouses in Harrisburg and Williamsport. All new inventory delivered to the warehouse is scanned and updated into its inventory. Through an online portal, partner agencies can see the inventory available and place their orders. The meat is stored in CPFB’s large freezer space until an order is placed for it. Refrigerated trucks deliver it to partner agencies, who also have freezer space to store it until a family takes it home. The cold chain is always maintained, so they’ve had no issues with food safety.
“Protein is the most needed item,” Arthur says. “It doesn’t sit in our freezer very long before it goes out on a refrigerated truck to the food pantries.”
Giant’s willingness to donate meat to the food bank has helped many needy families through the years, but Arthur says they are always in need of more donations. He encourages other supermarkets to work with the food bank to begin donating. Weis Markets recently started a pilot with the food bank to donate its leftover meat.
“I challenge our competitors to do this,” MacDonald says. It just takes the will and fortitude to do it. It’s about the people who need it. I think companies will say, why didn’t we do this 10 years ago?”
If you are interested in keeping meat out of the landfill and donating it to your local food bank, please contact Joe Arthur, executive director, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, at 717-724-3180.
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