Meal Recovery Coalition

📣 Final Hours to Submit Your Comments on Date Label Standardization! 📣 In the U.S., more than 80% of consumers report throwing away food simply because it’s past the labeled date—even when it’s still perfectly safe to eat. Confusion over date labels contributes to an estimated 7% of all consumer food waste, making it a major barrier to reducing unnecessary waste. From a food recovery perspective, standardizing date labels is critical for two key reasons: ✅ Food Safety & Clarity – Being able to tell when the item is no longer safe to consume is the most important factor. A date label that includes this information in a clear manner, as opposed to peak freshness information, would prevent good food from being wasted simply due to uncertainty. ✅ Efficiency – Food recovery organizations process large quantities of donations daily. A standardized system would eliminate the need to interpret different date formats for each item, making meal recovery faster and more effective. That’s why the Meal Recovery Coalition’s Lead Agency, Share My Meals Inc. has been working alongside the Zero Food Waste Coalition to advocate for standardized date labeling—so more food makes it to people’s plates instead of the trash. ⏳ Don’t miss this opportunity to make your voice heard! The USDA-FSIS and the FDA have issued a joint Request for Information on date label standardization. Submit your comments before the deadline using the user-friendly toolkit created by the ZFWC: https://lnkd.in/g5bFWf_W Let’s take action to reduce food waste nationwide! ♻️🍽️ #FoodRecovery #FoodWasteReduction #ZeroFoodWaste #Sustainability #MealRecovery #StandardizedDateLabels

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐉 One of the Meal Recovery Coalition’s key 2025 projects, Alignment on Standards, is making exciting progress! Our goal? To establish best practices for meal recovery and develop comprehensive guidelines and training materials. By building clarity and trust, we can expand the number of safe and effective meal recovery programs across New Jersey. Last week, we hosted our second project meeting—our first in person! 🥳Facilitated and hosted by FCHS, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, this session brought together experts from every part of the food recovery value chain: 🌍 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚 – Research-driven insights on existing food recovery policy 📜 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 – Guidance on regulations, safety, and compliance 🍽️ 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 – Firsthand experience in surplus meal management 🏠 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 – Expertise in meal redistribution and community needs 🚛 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – On-the-ground perspectives in meal recovery In small, cross-sector groups, we took a deep dive into existing regulations and guidelines, working through key questions to shape a shared vision for best practices in meal recovery. Our agenda focused on three critical areas: ✅ Dissecting existing regulations – Identifying what works, what doesn’t, and where clarity is needed. ✅ Determining gaps – Pinpointing where additional guidance or resources are required.  ✅ Creating an action plan – Discussing how best to translate our findings into accessible, practical guidance with widespread visibility. By working together to align on best practices, we are laying the foundation for an easier, safer, and more scalable system of meal recovery across New Jersey. A huge thank you to Sara Elnakib, PhD, MPH, RD and Rutgers University for facilitating, to all of our expert participants for your collaboration and in particular to the NJ Department of Health for being instrumental to this initiative! We look forward to continuing this work and sharing more updates as we move toward our goal. 💬 What meal recovery challenges or best practices have you encountered? We’d love to hear from you as we shape these guidelines! 👏 Share My Meals Inc. Table to Table Dartcor Food Services Sodexo Eurest Food Bank of South Jersey Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) Community FoodBank of New Jersey Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic Hélène Lanctuit Victoire Cleren Laure Verset Lucy DiSanto Sabrina Subhit, MPH, RDN, Heather Latino Loel Muetter Jessica Swift, REHS, MPH Don Schaffner John Borja Jennifer Shukaitis Heather Thompson Julie Kinner Elena Mills, RDN Paul Jensen Kathleen Pearce Jennifer Elliott Michael Schrob Kristin DeJesus Ashley Macpherson #MealRecovery #FoodRescue #Sustainability #Collaboration #FoodWasteReduction #FoodSecurity #MealRecoveryRevolution

🚨Exciting Leadership News!🚨 We are thrilled to congratulate Olivier Bogillot and Hélène Lanctuit on their election as Co-Chairs of the Meal Recovery Coalition (MRC) during our recent member meeting! Both have been incredible supporters of the MRC, and we are fortunate to continue benefiting from their leadership, vision, and passion as we expand our impact in the years ahead. ⭐ Olivier Bogillot, Head of North America General Medicines at Sanofi, has been with the company since 2015, holding roles including Deputy Director of Global Policy, Chief of Staff to the CEO, and President of Sanofi France. His extensive experience also includes key positions at Amgen and Bristol-Myers Squibb. ⭐ Hélène Lanctuit has served as CEO of Share My Meals Inc. (SMM)—MRC’s Lead Agency—since 2023, following two years on the Board where she played a key role in developing operational and food safety processes. Prior to SMM, Hélène was Principal Consultant at Eunomia Research & Consulting and had previously spent 15 years at Nestlé R&D in Switzerland, leading projects focused on environmental sustainability and plastic and food waste reduction. As the MRC continues to grow, strong leadership is essential to ensure we remain strategic, collaborative, innovative and accountable in our fight against food insecurity and food waste. With Olivier and Hélène at the helm, the MRC will continue to be guided by our core principles: 🌱 Focus on transformational, strategic impact 🌱 Foster collaboration and shared contribution 🌱 Innovate with accountability                                                                                    🌱 Embed practicality in our ambition Thank you, Olivier and Hélène, for stepping into these leadership roles! We are excited for what’s ahead under your guidance. And a big thank you to all of our incredible members for participating in this important decision! 👏 #Sustainability #NewJersey #FightFoodInsecurity #FightFoodWaste #CommunityImpact #EnvironmentalImpact #MealRecovery #MealRecoveryRevolution #FoodWaste #FoodInsecurity #FoodRescue

In Mercer County, 10% of the population faces food insecurity, while in school cafeterias where food is prepared at high volume, there is often some unavoidable food surplus that goes to waste due to various constraints. Our new partnership with Princeton Public Schools NJ and Pomptonian Food Services is tackling both issues by recovering surplus healthy meals and delivering them to families in need in the Princeton area. 🤝 This partnership is a prime example of how schools, nonprofits, and food service providers can work together to make a lasting impact. 💬 “Partnerships like this highlight the importance of community-driven solutions.” – Meg Lembo, Director of Outreach of Share My Meals Inc. 💬 “By donating our surplus meals, we’re not only reducing food waste but also ensuring that students and families in our community have access to nutritious food.” – Shannon Barlow, Food Systems Literacy Coordinator at Princeton Public Schools. 💬 “Partnering with Share My Meals and Princeton Public Schools allows us to extend our mission beyond the cafeteria, directly impacting families in need and supporting our shared commitment to sustainability.” – candy vidovich, CEO of Pomptonian Food Service. This initiative is a step toward a healthier and more equitable food system for our community. 📖 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eq2W_wTg #ShareMyMeals #PrincetonPublicSchools #Pomptonian #FoodService #MealRecovery #NoWaste #CommunityImpact #EndFoodInsecurity #FoodWasteReduction #NewJersey #MealRecoveryCoalition #MealRecoveryRevolution

As a Coalition, one of our most important responsibilities is bringing on board new members who share the same values. That said, we are happy to officially extend a warm welcome to our newest MRC member - Dartcor Food Services! Dartcor is a food service provider with a long history of delivering high-quality, healthy food while remaining mindful of environmental impact. Their focus on corporate dining and commitment to building strong and lasting relationships makes them a natural partner for our meal recovery efforts.  By joining the MRC, Dartcor is playing a key role in advancing this first-of-its-kind statewide initiative. Our members directly support meal recovery through funding while gaining meaningful opportunities, including: ✅ Visibility, partnership, and interaction with policymakers, lawmakers, community leaders, and peers driving positive change. ✅ A leadership role in addressing climate change while strengthening the economy and public health. ✅ Reputational growth through public relations efforts highlighting members’ commitment to community investment. ✅ Opportunities for employee engagement and pride through participation and volunteer initiatives. We’re excited to collaborate with Dartcor to further our mission of reducing food waste and ensuring surplus meals reach those in need. Their dedication to sustainability and community aligns perfectly with our goals, and we look forward to the impact we can create together. Thank you, Dartcor, for your commitment to the work we’re doing at MRC! With your addition, we now have eight members on board, and every new voice in the room brings fresh perspectives, experiences, and creative ideas to help make meal recovery the norm in New Jersey. Please join us in welcoming Dartcor to the MRC family! #Sustainability #NewJersey #MealRecoveryCoalition #MealRecoveryRevolution #foodwasteprevention #foodwaste #FoodRescue #EnvironmentalImpact #foodsecurity

Congratulations Karen Lemon! We are so fortunate to benefit from your dedication, experience, and insight in your work with the MRC. #mealrecoveryrevolution

The MRC is off to an exciting start for 2025! A big thank you to our dedicated members (The Campbell's Company, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Sanofi, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk, Capital Health (US), Dartcor Food Services, Share My Meals Inc.) for joining us for a productive MRC Member Meeting earlier this month. Here are some updates on what we accomplished as a group: •Celebrated 130,000 healthy meals recovered in 2024! •Elected our Co-Chairs (more on this to come!) •Aligned on 2025 goals and priorities, including 8 concrete project plans  •Agreed upon our Governance framework, from guiding principles to a decision-making structure, and a partnership ecosystem •Approved a 2025 budget •Brainstormed how we can best work together to make the biggest impact in 2025 Over the next year, we will Align on Standards for meal recovery processes, agree on best practices for efficient Distribution of meals, raise awareness and visibility of meal recovery through Communications and Advocacy, and expand our impact and expertise by building additional Partnerships. By focusing on these priorities, and with a strong governance ecosystem in place, we know we can meet our ambitious goal of recovering 250k meals in 2025! #Sustainability #NewJersey #FightFoodInsecurity #FightFoodWaste #CommunityImpact #EnvironmentalImpact #MealRecoveryCoalition #MealRecoveryRevolution #SustainableFuture #foodwasteprevention #foodwaste #FoodRescue

Making meal recovery the norm in NJ is the founding mission of the MRC, and so we were thrilled to see an excellent report conducted by Move For Hunger and funded by the The Tepper Foundation that highlights the importance of food waste reduction in our state. We wholeheartedly agree that recovered and donated food has great unrealized potential as a pathway to solve the growing need for fresh food in our communities. Our team has also witnessed a strong interest in food recovery, as well as the lack of data, knowledge, and ownership that keeps this work under-utilized and inefficient. There is transformative potential in building a collaborative, clear system for getting food that would be wasted into the hands of those in need. Not only fresh food from farms, but also the thousands of prepared, healthy meals from food service programs that are disposed of every day. In alignment with this report's recommendations, our goals are to raise awareness, foster collaboration, and to build a scalable model for meal recovery that can be replicated not just across our state, but across the nation. We are excited to share more updates as we continue to build partnerships and tools in 2025, providing the support needed for any nonprofit, corporation, or individual who wants to be involved in meal recovery to play their part! #Sustainability #NewJersey #FightFoodInsecurity #FightFoodWaste #MealRecoveryCoalition #MealRecoveryRevolution #FoodRescue #foodwaste #foodwasteprevention #CommunityImpact #EnvironmentalImpact

We are honored to be recognized by ReFED following the exciting launch of the MRC earlier this fall. Thank you ReFED for highlighting the important work we are doing, alongside Share My Meals Inc. and our wonderful members and partners. We are so proud to be serving NJ by reducing both food waste and food insecurity in the state through meal recovery. Bristol Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk, Johnson & Johnson, Campbell's, Capital Health (US), Sanofi, Novartis. #MealRecoveryCoalition #MealRecoveryRevolution #Sustainability #NewJersey #FoodRescue #FightFoodWaste #FightFoodInsecurity

Many thanks to Mark Dinglasan, MBA and the team at the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate for hosting an inspiring summit today. We were incredibly impressed with the passion and dedication of the 500+ attendees who are all working tirelessly to create food security in NJ. Together, we will be able to alleviate hunger and build a better future. #Foodsecurity #foodinsecurity #mealrecovery