"Meal Recovery Coalition: Fighting Hunger & Reducing Waste in New Jersey with Rutgers University, Bristol Myers Squibb & Campbell Soup Company"

In the heart of New Jersey, a noteworthy initiative targeted at both human and environmental well-being has emerged. The Meal Recovery Coalition, a groundbreaking collaboration of private and nonprofit contributors, was officially launched at a summit at Rutgers University. With a strategy to recover surplus food from large-scale cafeterias, the coalition aims to channel these meals towards New Jersey's residents in dire need, while also combating food waste. High-profile figures such as Governor Phil Murphy and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin have extended their support to this initiative, praising its dual focus on tackling both food waste and hunger. Governor Murphy underscored how the coalition's innovative approach not only helps keep food out of landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also ensures the food reaches those who need it most. The MRC's ultimate vision is to pioneer a meal recovery model that can be replicated not only throughout New Jersey but the entire nation. They aim to recover half a million meals annually by 2026, thereby providing around 6,400 extra people with meals each week. Share My Meals, a Princeton-based nonprofit, played a major role in establishing the MRC. It drew the support of large corporations including Bristol Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk, and Campbell Soup Company, all of whom have pledged firm commitment towards meal recovery programs. The sheer comparison between the almost 1 million food-insecure residents and the staggering 5 million meals discarded annually in New Jersey’s food service industry only underscores the importance of the MRC https://sharemymeals.org/innovative-new-jersey-initiative-addresses-food-insecurity-and-food-waste/ ```