Tyson Foods Unveils Mobile Feeding Unit

Building on its history of feeding first responders and survivors in the aftermath of various disasters, Tyson Foods Inc. has introduced a special mobile feeding unit. The 53-foot semi-trailer made its debut April 27 in New York during a live segment on cable TV’s “Fox & Friends.”

The trailer will serve as a central supply unit at disaster sites to bolster the feeding efforts of multiple Tyson “cook teams” that bring grills and Tyson volunteers to locations where they're needed. It features enough refrigerated space to store up to 20,000 pounds of chicken, beef or pork; a 5,500-watt generator; and satellite communications. It bears the new name of Tyson’ disaster relief feeding program, “Meals that Matter,” reflecting the company’s longtime practice of feeding disaster survivors and relief workers.

Mobile grills for the unit will be supplied, as needed, by Tyson’s plant locations. More than 40 plant sites are currently able to respond to disasters by sending grills and Tyson volunteers to cook food.

“For decades, we’ve responded to disasters in or near our plant communities in 26 states by doing what we do best: feeding people,” said John Tyson, chairman of Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson. “When disasters strike, our team members mobilize and bring in grills, food and volunteers to help out, sometimes for multiple days or even weeks. Our new ‘Meals that Matter’ truck will help those teams by giving them all the supplies they need to make it easier to help.”

On average, Tyson responds to four to five major disasters annually. In recent years, the company has provided between $300,000 and $500,000 yearly in food and financial support to disaster relief.