San Diego-Based Jensen Meat Company Donates 500,000 Pounds of its New Plant-Based Patties to Help Fight Hunger

A recent food donation from San Diego-based Jensen Meat Company has Feeding San Diego going plant-based! Last week, Jensen Meat Company gave Feeding San Diego the news of its largest food donation to date. The company committed to donating 500,000 pounds of its new plant-based patties to help those facing hunger in San Diego. This generous donation will be used throughout 2022 to provide a high-protein, plant-based option to those we serve. Feeding San Diego and our community partners, which include faith-based organizations, food pantries, and other non-profits, will distribute the product throughout San Diego County.

Keeping It Local  

Jensen Meat Company has been a food donor to Feeding San Diego since 2015. To date, they have donated over 40,678 pounds of food to the organization. The company is a leading processor and marketer of high-quality ground beef products that recently expanded into plant-based beef alternatives. Feeding San Diego works with local food manufacturers like Jensen Meat Company to rescue food that might otherwise end up in a landfill. For this donation, Jensen Meat Company donated the product as a new production line to share with the community. However, most donations cut  food waste.  Instead of disposing of food, Feeding San Diego provides an opportunity for local businesses to give back to the community with their food donations.  

A New Plant-Based Option  

“Plant-based meat alternatives are high in demand right now. We are pleased to be able to provide this product to those in the community facing hunger,” said Patty O’Connor, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Feeding San Diego. “This product is high in protein and a great  vegan option for those we serve. Generous food donors like Jensen Meat Company make our mission of ending hunger through food rescue possible.”  

Feeding San Diego has arranged for deliveries of the plant-based patties to 22 of its partners, including South Bay Food Pantry, San Diego Rescue Mission, and the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. Feeding San Diego will also hand out the patties at their large-scale food distributions throughout San Diego County.    

The Power of Food Rescue 

On January 1, 2022, Senate Bill 1383 becomes law. It requires food businesses to donate edible food to hunger relief organizations rather than sending it to the landfill. In its last fiscal year, 70% of the 40.3 million meals Feeding San Diego distributed was rescued. Feeding San Diego and its almost 300 community partners serve groups vulnerable to food insecurity, including low-income families, college students, military families, and veterans.  

“We are proud of our longstanding support for Feeding San Diego in its mission to fight hunger,” remarked Abel Olivera, Chief Executive Officer of Jensen Meat. “We’re grateful to everyone who helped us provide two million individual plant-based patties for people in need this holiday season. We hope that through this first plant-based initiative, we can make an impact in our communities in the fight against hunger.”