Albertsons Boosts Commitments to Fighting Hunger, Encouraging Healthy Eating

In support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, Albertsons Cos. Inc. will roll out new goals and initiatives to help break the cycle of hunger and empower nutrition and health via technology and information. 

“At Albertsons Cos., our purpose is to bring people together around the joys of food and to inspire well-being,” said Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran. “A part of that promise is improving food access while providing tools that integrate nutrition and health information across our grocery stores and digital platforms. We are proud to announce these commitments, which complement our Recipe for Change ESG platform and reflect our deep roots serving communities across America.” 

Nourishing Neighbors, an Albertsons Cos. Foundation program, aims to ensure that at-risk youth, adults, seniors and families have access to the food they need to lead healthier and more enriching lives. Through the program, more than $200 million has been donated to hunger relief organizations since 2011, and the company has made the following commitments to reduce food insecurity: 

• Enable the donation of 100 million-plus meals in 2023 and 1 billion meals by 2030.
• Help 50,000 eligible people enroll in SNAP and WIC benefits in 2023. As well as offering online SNAP access and educational information in stores, Nourishing Neighbors will provide grants to local food banks, soup kitchens and community organizations to conduct outreach and provide SNAP and WIC enrollment support.
• Empowering Nutrition and Health through Technology and Information. These resources include a meal-planning tool that currently offers 1,400 shoppable recipes, making it easy to plan, purchase and prepare nutritious meals while encouraging customers to raise their consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains or meet other balanced diet objectives.

As part of the company’s commitment to encouraging better eating, it has made the following commitments:

• Provide 50 million evidence-based nutrition recommendations to digital customers by 2024 to help them make healthier choices while shopping at Albertsons Cos. banner stores.
• Launch six health campaigns by 2025 using in-store events and digital platforms to boost awareness of MyPlate Dietary Guidelines.
• Provide 100 million customers access to recipe and meal-planning tools by 2025, enabling them to easily select, cook and enjoy meals that match their taste, budget and dietary needs.
• Introduce 1,000 new nutritious and approachable recipes, and further improve tools to help make healthier living an easy and sustainable choice.
• Expand the availability of ReadyMeals from 600 to 1,100 stores by the end of the fiscal year. ReadyMeals offer nutritious meals designed by culinary experts and dietitians and made fresh in-store daily.

“Albertsons Cos. is a grocery hub for thousands of communities, providing access to food, medications and care,” said Omer Gajial, chief digital officer and EVP health at the company. “These initiatives further highlight our commitment to building a deeper connection between food and well-being. As a company, we continue to challenge ourselves to provide simple, actionable solutions, helping our customers and communities to meet their nutritional needs and health goals.”

Others that made similar commitments in connection with the Sept. 28 conference include Shipt, FMI and Instacart.

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons operates more than 2,200 retail stores with 1,700-plus pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 20 manufacturing facilities. It has stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 24 well-known banners, among them Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. Albertsons is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.