MealConnect cuts waste while stocking food shelves

Feeding America has developed a platform called MealConnect that facilitates the easy, safe and quick donation of food from grocery stores, convenience stores and foodservice locations to nonprofit food pantries and meal programs in communities across the U.S.

General Mills – which has worked to reduce food waste for many years – is supporting Feeding America with a $1 million grant to bring this innovative new food rescue platform to food businesses. We’ve joined other companies in this, including Google.org, Starbucks, Walmart and more. 

“In addition to committing grant money to Feeding America for MealConnect, we have the ability to leverage our reach and relationships across all food channels to help ensure food retailers and operators are aware of this solution, which they can consider for their own operation,” says Shawn O’Grady, group president for Convenience & Foodservice at General Mills, and senior vice president for Global Revenue Management.

Food waste remains a major problem. That’s a dichotomy, considering one in eight Americans faces hunger. According to ReFED, a collaboration of business, nonprofit, foundation and government leaders committed to reducing food waste in the U.S., 72 billion pounds of good, safe food is wasted annually. This figure does not include household food waste, which would add another 54 billion pounds annually.