As the company celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, Hormel Foods Corporation is launching its 10th annual corporate responsibility report. The report is available online and includes information related to the company’s sustainability performance in fiscal 2015.
“Our food journey is how we produce food responsibly for customers and consumers around the world through five focus areas: the environment, animal welfare, our products, people and communities,” said Jeffrey M. Ettinger, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods. “We continue to make significant strides, and this past year was no exception.”
Some of the company’s achievements in 2015 include:
- Establishing an executive Corporate Responsibility Steering Committee to build upon the efforts of the company’s Corporate Responsibility Council.
- Making notable progress toward its 2020 environmental goals after already surpassing its solid waste goal last year.
- Implementing a clean label initiative to simplify the ingredient statements of many products through the removal or replacement of ingredients, while still delivering great-tasting items consumers expect.
- Partnering with the Cancer Nutrition Consortium to develop a line of food and beverage products designed to support the unique nutrition needs of patients recovering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In 2015, the company launched Hormel Vital Cuisine™ high-protein shakes and whey powders and made them available directly to consumers for home delivery.
- Acquiring Applegate Farms, LLC, which has allowed the company to offer a new line of products to meet the growing demand for natural and organic foods.
- Contributing $7.7 million in cash and product donations. For example, the company donated $400,000 to local hunger relief organizations in 40 communities where it has manufacturing facilities and also continued its donations of SPAMMY®, a shelf-stable poultry product fortified with vitamins and minerals that is distributed to malnourished children in Guatemala. In 2015, Hormel Foods donated 2.4 million cans of SPAMMYthrough its partnership with Food for the Poor and Caritas Arquidiocesana.
In addition to the report, Hormel Foods released a Project SPAMMY® video that includes footage and interviews from employees that went on a Project SPAMMY engagement trip to learn more about the project and help with project operations. The video is included in the report and can be accessed at http://2015csr.hormelfoods.com/communities/hunger-relief/.
The Hormel Foods 2015 Corporate Responsibility Report follows the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 guidelines and is “in accordance” with the core option, with the content index verified as being accurate and aligned by GRI.
