SIAL Canada, the Largest Agri-Food Industry Event, Partners with Food Rescue Charity Second Harvest

Food Rescue a Topic of Conversation as 14,000 Food Industry Professionals Congregate in Toronto

TORONTO, April 20, 2015 /CNW/ - On April 28^th, more than 800 national and international agri-food exhibitors from 46 countries and 14,000 buyers will come together for three days of learning, tasting, and talking about key industry topics and innovations. SIAL Canada 2015 will be the country's most important agri-food industry event and is the only event of its size in the country.

SIAL Canada has selected Second Harvest as the charitable partner of the event. That means $1 from each ticket sold will be donated to Second Harvest in support of food rescue. All the surplus food from the three day long event will be rescued and delivered to people experiencing hunger in Toronto.

Gastronaut and Second Harvest Ambassador, Bob Blumer, will be participating in the show through a series of on-stage demonstrations and talks to educate attendees on food rescue. SIAL Canada has been donating the surplus food from the show to Second Harvest for the past three years.  

"We believe in partnering with organizations that are committed to corporate social responsibility, because businesses that have a corporate sustainability mandate, view food waste as an important issue," said Debra Lawson, Executive Director of Second Harvest. "Partners like SIAL help us continue the conversation of food waste and ensuring that food rescue has a firm place in the food cycle." 

Since its creation in Toronto in 2011, SIAL Canada has chosen to support Second Harvest. Today in an effort to stop hunger and reduce food waste, we are increasing our involvement with the largest food rescue program in Canada. Xavier Poncin, SIAL Canada Executive Director, reminds us that "food waste is a constant challenge in the industry and all actors should take action to fight it. Following Debra Lawson's comment, we hope that by supporting such a program we are making sure that food rescue remains an important issue in the agri-food industry."

Registration for the show is now open, with early-bird registration until April 27^th, midnight. For more information and tickets visit www.sialcanada.com.

About SIAL

SIAL Canada is an integral part of the SIAL Group, the leading global network of shows dedicated to the food industry, with seven shows (SIAL Paris, SIAL Canada, SIAL China, SIAL Brazil, SIAL Middle East, SIAL ASEAN, and SIAL InterFood Jakarta) that bring together 12,000 exhibitors and 280,000 visitors from 200 countries. Established in 2001, SIAL Canada is the fruit of three agencies' labour, all of whom are shareholders in the event: the ADAQ (Association des détaillants en alimentation du Québec), the Agri-Food Export Group Quebec-Canada, and Comexposium (owner of the SIAL shows and a subsidiary of the Unibail Group).

About Second Harvest

Second Harvest is a charity that rescues fresh, surplus food, that would otherwise go to waste, from grocery stores, manufacturers, distributers, farmers, restaurants and hotels. The food is delivered daily to more than 200 social service agencies feeding people experiencing hunger across Toronto. Since 1985 Second Harvest has rescued and delivered 100 million pounds of good food, thus preventing 50 million pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Second Harvest's vision: No Waste. No Hunger.

SOURCE Second Harvest

For further information: Tonia Krauser, Director of Communications, Second Harvest, 416-625-6774, [email protected]