Sanofi hosts event showcasing the social, health, environmental and economic impact of meal recovery across New Jersey
PRINCETON, NJ – October 27, 2026 – A meal is more than food on a plate. For a family facing food insecurity, it can mean relief from financial stress. For a child, it can support health and learning. For someone living in transitional housing without access to a kitchen, it can provide immediate nourishment and dignity. And for communities across New Jersey, recovered meals represent an opportunity to reduce waste while strengthening the organizations that serve those in need.
These themes were at the center of the Meal Recovery Coalition’s (MRC) annual event, “The Value of a Meal,” hosted by Sanofi US in Morristown. The gathering brought together leaders from business, government, nonprofits, academia, and philanthropy to explore the impact of prepared meal recovery on individuals, communities and New Jersey’s food system.
Meal recovery programs collect safe, surplus prepared meals from commercial kitchens, cafeterias and caterers and deliver them to people in need instead of sending them to landfills.
The Meal Recovery Coalition was formed in 2024 to advance prepared meal recovery across New Jersey and create a reliable additional food stream that complements food pantries, community kitchens and other hunger-relief efforts. Through partnerships among corporations, hospitals, food service providers, nonprofits, universities and state agencies, meal recovery programs in New Jersey have recovered over a million meals, providing much needed food assistance across the state.
“Prepared meals play a unique role in fighting food insecurity because they are ready to eat and immediately accessible to people who may not have a kitchen, the time to cook or the resources to prepare a meal,” said Hélène Lanctuit, Co-Chair of the Meal Recovery Coalition. “The value of a meal extends far beyond nourishment. It creates stability for families, supports health and well-being, strengthens community connections and helps nonprofits serve more people. Our coalition demonstrates what is possible when the public, private and nonprofit sectors come together around a shared goal.”
The event featured remarks from state leaders including Assemblywoman Marisa Sweeney and Mark Dinglasan, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate, and a panel discussion moderated by Tara Colton, Chief Economic Security Officer at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Panelists explored the health, environmental, and social dimensions of meal recovery and its impact on communities statewide.
An analysis of meal recovery commissioned by the Meal Recovery Coalition and released in conjunction with the event highlights the broad benefits of meal recovery. The Value of a Meal paper found that food insecurity is associated with increased health risks, higher healthcare costs, and significant stress on families, while prepared meal recovery offers a practical solution that reduces food waste, supports community organizations, and provides nutritious food to people who need it most. The report also underscores the unique role of prepared meals in serving individuals and families who lack access to cooking facilities or face barriers to meal preparation.
“At Sanofi, we believe improving health starts with supporting the communities where we live and work,” said Diana Blankman, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sanofi . “We are proud to host this year’s Meal Recovery Coalition event and support a partnership that is creating measurable impact across New Jersey. Meal recovery demonstrates how businesses, nonprofits, and government can work together to address pressing community needs while reducing waste and making better use of existing resources.”
Now in its third year, the coalition continues to demonstrate the power of collaboration in addressing two interconnected challenges: food insecurity and food waste. Coalition members have established common food safety standards, expanded meal recovery partnerships and are working toward a shared goal of recovering all available surplus prepared meals generated by commercial kitchens across the state.
MEMBERS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
The Princeton-based nonprofit Share My Meals led the formation of the MRC. Members include corporate, healthcare and non-profit partners Sanofi, Accenture, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, The Campbell’s Company, Capital Health, Dartcor, Food Bank of South Jersey, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Novo, Merck, RWJBarnabas Health, Share My Meals and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). Project participants have included food-service leaders Sodexo and Compass Group (Eurest and Flick); nonprofits and community organizations Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), MEND, Table to Table, nourish.NJ, and FoodRecovery.org. Academic and research partners Rutgers University; and New Jersey state agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Department of Health (DOH). Together, these organizations recover surplus meals, serve as ambassadors for meal recovery, and are united by a common vision: ensuring that every safe, available meal reaches someone who can benefit from it. For more information, visit mealrecoverycoalition.org.
ABOUT THE MEAL RECOVERY COALITION
The Meal Recovery Coalition is a statewide alliance working to expand prepared meal recovery across New Jersey. By connecting surplus prepared meals with community organizations and families facing food insecurity, the coalition helps reduce food waste, lower greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen local support networks, and increase access to nutritious food. The coalition’s long-term goal is to make meal recovery the norm across New Jersey and ensure that every available meal feeds someone in need.