Hormel Foods Shares Food Journey in 10th Annual Corporate Responsibility Report

As the company sets upon its 125 years in the industry, Hormel Foods Corporation is also looking back upon a year of successes in the realm of corporate responsibility. Hormel has launched its 10th annual corporate responsibility report, which includes details about its sustainability performance in fiscal 2015, including everything from its newly reinforced commitment to organic/natural foods, to millions in charitable donations.

“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,” explained Jeffrey M. Ettinger, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Hormel Foods. “We continue to make significant strides, and this past year was no exception.”

Some of the company’s achievements in 2015, according to a press release, include:

• Establishing an executive Corporate Responsibility Steering Committee to build upon the efforts of the company’s Corporate Responsibility Council
• Making 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
• 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
• Acquiring Applegate Farms, LLC, allowing 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
• Donated $400,000 to local hunger relief organizations in 40 communities where it has manufacturing facilities
• Continued its donations of SPAMMY®, a shelf-stable poultry product fortified with vitamins and minerals that is distributed to malnourished children in Guatemala

In tandem to this report to the report, Hormel Foods released a Project SPAMMY® video, including footage and interviews from employees that went on a Project SPAMMY® engagement trip. The video is included in the report and can be watched below.

Hormel Foods says it will continue to report on its environmental and social performance annually, with its next report being released in June 2017 for data spanning from November 2015 to October 2016.