Flavouring products producer and distributor, McCormick & Company Australia, has partnered with community partners OzHarvest and Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria & Tasmania (RMHC VIC & TAS) to reduce food waste through rescued ingredients.
McCormick’s meal preparation and delivery program, Flavours for a Cause, was launched on 30 July in Melbourne as part of its 135 Days of Giving – a celebration of the company’s 135th anniversary through giving back to the community.
Each year 7.6 million tonnes of food is wasted, costing households $2000-2500, with 70 per cent of this perfectly edible. Vegetables, bread, fruit, bagged salad, and leftovers are the top five most wasted foods in Australia.
OzHarvest joint head of impact, Laura Glendinning, explained the significance of ensuring good food does not go to waste, especially when there are still so many individuals experiencing hunger.
“With 3.7 million households in Australia experiencing food insecurity in the last 12 months, our Cooking for a Cause program plays an important role in helping communities in need,” she said.
“To create restaurant quality meals out of rescued food that was once destined for landfill provides a real sense of purpose for all involved and we are proud to offer this initiative here in Melbourne.”
Flavours for a Cause is a crossover of each involved organisation’s community-focused programs. RMHC VIC & TAS’s Meals from the Heart program gives residents a night off from cooking by having volunteers prepare and join the families for dinner, and OzHarvest’s Cooking for a Cause sees corporate teams learn zero-waste cooking skills from in-house chefs and transform rescued ingredients into gourmet meals.
The program will see 30 McCormick employee volunteers prepare food alongside OzHarvest chefs to deliver 210 plates of three-course vegetarian meals for 70 residents and families of ill and injured children at Ronald McDonald House North Fitzroy.
The meals will use McCormick’s range of herbs, spices, seasonings and condiments, and rescued ingredients by OzHarvest, prepared at OzHarvest’s kitchen with the help of its in-house chefs, and delivered by its trucks to be served by McCormick volunteers to the North Fitzroy House.
McCormick Australia managing director, Paris Golden, said the company has a strong commitment to doing what’s right for people, communities and the planet – stemming from its Purpose-Led-Performance principles.
“Stitching together the missions of our various charitable organisations, we are excited to collaborate with our long-term partners, Ronald McDonald House Charities and OzHarvest,” said Golden.
“We hope to see Flavours for a Cause rolled out across the country to reach more local communities and better educate people on how delicious meals can be made using rescued ingredients and good flavours.”
