McCain Foods giving 20 million pounds of potatoes to food organizations

April 13, 2020, Florenceville-Bristol, N.B. – McCain Foods is donating up to 20 million pounds of potato products to support Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest and other local food security organizations across the country.

The commitment represents 60 million servings of potatoes that will be provided to Canadian communities struggling with food insecurity.

Over recent weeks the Canadian food system has been stretched by the impacts of COVID-19, the company said in a press release, which has left many of the country’s most vulnerable struggling for access to food.

The donation by McCain Foods will help provide access to additional food sources to those in need, the company states.

To further help, McCain Foods is also engaging its subsidiary, Day & Ross, one of Canada’s largest transportation companies, to help get the donations to those in need as quickly as possible.

“In this time of physical distancing, feelings of community and support are ever more important,” said Max Koeune, president and CEO, McCain Foods. “McCain has long been a leader in Canadian agriculture and food. Our employees, along with our more than 130 potato grower partners across the country, take pride in providing planet-friendly foods to Canadians every day. Our collective goal is to feed real moments of togetherness and these challenging times are no exception. That is why we are working with charitable organizations across Canada to help fight hunger in our country.”

Food banks play a vital role in serving Canada’s most vulnerable neighbours. Even before the escalation of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than one million visits were made to food banks across Canada each month, according to Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount report. Now, the demand is even greater for those struggling with food insecurity and hardest hit by this crisis.

“Because of COVID-19, many local food drives typically held this time of year are cancelled,” said Chris Hatch, CEO, Food Banks Canada. “McCain Food’s significant donation will help replenish the inventory at a time when food donations have drastically decreased. We are grateful for this contribution as we face the increase in demand this pandemic is causing.”

“Ensuring all Canadians have access to nutritious, fresh food during this crisis is a collective effort, and we are proud to be working with McCain Foods to tackle this issue together,” said Lori Nikkel, CEO, Second Harvest. “Our mission is that no one gets left behind, and this generous donation will help us fulfill that mission by directly feeding those hardest hit by this pandemic.”

McCain Food’s announcement comes in addition to $1.3 million in donations from the McCain Foundation which were made recently to provide urgent support to food banks, shelters, community kitchens and school programs in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Alberta.

McCain Foods is the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato specialties, and also produces other quality products such as appetizers, vegetables, and desserts that can be found in restaurants and retail stores in more than 160 countries around the world. In Canada, the company has eight production facilities with about 2,400 employees.