Immediate Release: 20 May 2020
Today, Latina Fresh Australia announces it will donate freshly produced filled pasta to Foodbank
Australia. This equates to 45,000 meals and has been made specifically for Foodbank Australia. It
follows on from a period where the brand itself experienced significant stock depletion, off the back of
consumer panic buying due to COVID-19.
The donation also comes as Latina Fresh parent company – General Mills – enters its fifteenth year
partnering with the nation’s largest food relief organisation.
This month alone, Foodbank Australia has seen a 50% increase for food security support across its
network of charity agencies. Meaning its needs for supplies have never been greater.
In order to support this spike, Latina Fresh has produced to donate 60 pallets of Latina Fresh Spinach
and Ricotta Agnolotti which will provide a well-rounded meal for families with some much-needed
protein.
Peter Everett, Managing Director, General Mills, said: “The panic pantry buying we experienced in
Australia significantly stretched our factory’s capacity to the limit. However, given Latina Fresh pastas
are all made in Australia and in collaboration with Australian farmers and suppliers, we’ve been able
to bounce back quickly.
“Our factory team have worked tirelessly to ensure we continue to create meals Australians love and
we’re proud to be able to share more of that with Foodbank – by extending our production to make
more Latina Fresh pasta specifically for Australians in need. While we’re donating 45,000 meals this
month, we intend to continue to partner with Foodbank Australia to help fight food insecurity in the
coming months and beyond.”
Brianna Casey, CEO, Foodbank Australia highlighted the issues Foodbank is facing: “Right now,
Australia’s hunger crisis is at an all-time high. The demand has increased significantly, and we’re
seeing demographics groups in need of food relief that we’ve never seen before. It’s challenging, and
we can’t do it without partners like General Mills and brands like Latina Fresh.
“We thank our longstanding partners for their support, including Latina Fresh and General Mills – who
have been generously backing us and supporting the community for the last fifteen years.”