Meat processors join Foodbank to fight hunger

Australian hunger relief organisation Foodbank has partnered with Thomas Foods International and Fletcher International Exports to expand the Foodbank Meat Program.

Both Thomas Foods International and Fletcher International Exports will donate one tonne of 65CL mutton trim to Foodbank each month. Foodbank’s manufacturing partner, Primo Smallgoods, will donate its manufacturing time to produce beef and lamb mix sausages for Foodbank for distribution around the country.

This donation will see Foodbank’s Meat Program increase from producing 1400 kg of fresh sausages each month to over 4300 kg, equating to over 800,000 sausages annually.

Along with the support of Primo’s suppliers, who subsidise the ingredients, and Scott’s Refrigerated Freightways, who donate the transport to get the sausages to Foodbank’s distribution centres around Australia, Foodbank will be able to provide a much-needed source of meat protein to those in need. Foodbank currently provides food to over 2400 agencies and distributes over 33 million kg of food each year, with more than 30% of food going to rural and regional areas.

Darren Thomas, chief executive officer of Thomas Foods International, says the company is keen to be involved in a program that provides far-reaching community benefits.

“We are pleased to partner with Foodbank to help fellow Australians in need,” he said. “As a family-owned company with strong family values, this program really struck a chord with us. All our staff live and work in local communities, so we want to do what we can to support others less fortunate, particularly in regional and rural areas where people are doing it tough.”

Foodbank encourages others to get involved in the Meat Program by donating a pallet (one tonne) of meat trim to the program. This donation can be of either beef, mutton or pork and can be a one-off donation or be made on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. One tonne of meat trim will allow Foodbank to produce around 1300 kg of sausages, equivalent to 12,000 sausages, which is enough to feed over 1200 families in need.

To learn more about Foodbank’s Meat Program and the different ways you can support Foodbank, such as by donating trim, livestock, transport and processing or finished product, please visit the Foodbank Australia website.