Mars Food commits to delivering 5.5 BILLION healthy meals to families around the world by 2025

LONDON, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mars Food reveals its first Purpose in Action Report, which shares how the company has provided better food today and a better world tomorrow. It also extends Mars Food's purpose commitments to 2025, following its 2016 ambition to deliver one billion more healthy meals to be enjoyed on dinner tables around the world by 2021, which the company has since achieved.  

The new targets focus on three key areas of progress: Championing Shared Meals, Opening Access to Better Food and Driving Brand Purpose. These complement the previous commitments, which aimed to bring healthier meals to families through reformulation, inspire families and friends to eat and cook together, and improve sustainable farming practices to the benefit both farmers and consumers. 

The report details how, over the past five years, Mars Food has:  

• Exceeded its target to deliver one billion more healthy meals by 2021;
• Pioneered sustainable rice practices and making an industry first commitment to source 100% of its rice from farmers working towards the Sustainable Rice Platform standard;
• Partnered with global packaging supplier Amcor, to launch the first recyclable microwavable rice pouch;
• Contributed to a 21.3% average sodium reduction on Mars Food's global portfolio (surpassing the 20% target).
• Ensured that 100% of is tomato-based sauces include one serving of fruits or vegetables per portion;

In addition, in 2020 Mars Food has donated more than 10 million meals as part of its continued community giving programmes and the $20 million commitment made by Mars, Incorporated to support COVID-19 relief, which have now surpassed $26 million. 

Mars Food's new 2025 Purpose Commitments take these goals a step further by ensuring more people across the world, particularly those in need, have access to healthy and sustainable food. Through its brands and actions, Mars is committed to making a positive difference to lives across the world.   

Mars Food Global has a new ambition to deliver 5.5 billion meals by 2025 and will take action to: 

1. Open Access to Better Food 
   •  Provide 800 million more servings of vegetables alongside a 30% increase of fibre in all Mars Food products and a 5% reduction of sodium by 2025; 
   •  Ensure 25 million healthy meals are provided to those in need through strategic partnerships; 
   •  Ensure that 100% of its plastic packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025; 
   •  Ensure 100% of rice farmers in its supply chain at risk of poverty are reached programs designed to enable them to thrive by 2025; 
   •  Eliminate unsustainable water use in its value chain, starting with a 50% reduction by 2025. 
2. Champion Shared Meals 
   •  Create an accessible digital platform that provides mealtime inspiration and conversation starters; 
   •  Raise more awareness around the social value of shared meals and through public health partnerships and endorsements. 
3. Drive Brand Purpose with consumers, customers & partners 
   •  Create opportunities that offer everyone a seat at the table through our Ben's Original™ Seat at the Table™ scholarship fund and celebration of diverse cuisines & cultures; 
   •  Plant nutritious seeds for every Seeds of Change™ product purchased, so that our communities can enjoy health, nutritious food; 
   •  Help Australians get together around the table more, living the MasterFoods™ mantra: Make Dinnertime Matter™. 
   •  Donate 2% profits through the Tasty Bite™ Foundation to accelerate sustainable and inclusive rural development by empowering farmers in India; 
   •  Use the Dolmio™ brand to help more families enjoy drama-free dinnertimes by providing healthy and tasty products which are quick to prepare. 

Furthermore, Mars Food is also reflecting these commitments internally by: 

•  Supporting its Associates in being able to enjoy dinner at home with their families, whether that's leaving the office on time or switching off at home; 
•  Making 80% of the Mars Food Volunteering Program activities dedicated to enabling more meaningful meals. 

Fiona Dawson - Global President of Mars Food, Multisales and Global Customers said:  
"Our Mars Food Purpose – Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow – guides our actions because we know that what we eat, where that food comes from and who we share it with are important. Our Purpose in Action report sets out the progress we have made since 2016. We have delivered an extra one billion healthy meals which have been shared on dinner tables around the world; used our brands to celebrate the importance of shared dinnertimes and today 99% of our rice is sourced from farmers working towards the Sustainable Rice Platform standard. I am incredibly proud of these achievements, and despite our progress there is much more that we want to do. I am excited to share our ambitious 2025 goals we have set ourselves to champion the benefits of shared meals, open access to better food and drive our brands' purposes – all so that we can deliver 5.5 billion healthy meals for families around the world to enjoy".   

To see the full 2020 Mars Food Purpose in Action Report, click HERE. 

About Mars Food 
Mars Food is a fast-growing dinnertime food business, making tastier, healthier, easier meals that bring the world to the dinner table. Headquartered in London, Mars Food's portfolio of leading brands includes: BEN'S ORIGINAL ™, DOLMIO™, SEEDS OF CHANGE™, MASTERFOODS™, MIRACOLI™, TASTY BITE™, SUZI WAN™, EBLY™, ROYCO™, KAN TONG™, ABU SIOUF™, RARIS®, and PAMESELLO™. Our purpose – Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow – drives our business to be a leader in health & wellbeing and sustainability. Mars Food is a segment of Mars, Incorporated.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com.

SOURCE Mars Food

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http://www.mars.com

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