Top Editors ... Minister congratulates food industry

Title: Minister congratulates food industry
Date: 25/07/2006
Autor: By Michelle Rawlings

The Hon Christopher Pyne MP, Minister for Health & Ageing, has congratulated the food industry for donating a record nine million kilograms of food this financial year to the hunger relief charity Foodbank.

Mr Pyne, in opening the 39th Annual Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Incorporated (AIFST) Convention at the Adelaide Convention Centre yesterday said Foodbank had distributed the food to more than 1500 welfare agencies around Australia, providing 12 million meals for people in need.

Mr Leigh Royans, General Manager of Foodbank SA, said the distribution would not have been possible without the generous support of the food industry.

“The food and groceries we receive are donated by 25 national companies and 500 smaller food companies,” Mr Royans said.

“In the past 12 months in South Australia alone we have been able to provide 720 tonnes of food and groceries to 350 different charities.”

Founded 14 years ago, Foodbank is the largest hunger-relief charity in Australia and provides a critical service to people in crisis and need.

Foodbank acts as a one-stop ‘pantry’ for the welfare agencies and is the endorsed charity of the Australian Food and Grocery Council and its member organisations.

“The greatest celebration would be if Foodbank was no longer needed, but unfortunately we live in a society where a growing number of people are finding life difficult and turning to the welfare sector for assistance,” Mr Royans said “So, I urge any food company that is not already donating, to contact Foodbank to see how they can help.”

For more information on Foodbank please visit: www.foodbank.org.au/foodbank/foodbank.htm.