The mobile game Taco Chef from Old El Paso allows taco-loving Norwegians to donate tex mex products to Matsentralen Norge, the country’s national network of (soon) 8 Food Banks.
The campaign is part of the launch of Old El Paso new product: Tortilla pockets. For the occasion, Old El Paso donated 1,000 products to the Food Banks. In addition, consumers can contribute with the donation of even more products by playing the family-friendly AR game.
“The pandemic has increased the need for food in Norway, and we are unable to cover this need as it is today. Therefore, it is nice to say yes to such collaborations once in a while, and in that way get a little extra goods”, says Cristiano Aubert, Director of the board at Matsentralen Norge and General Manager of the Food Bank in Oslo.
A safety net for the food industry
In spite of the efforts of the food industry to reduce food waste, there is unfortunately always food that can no longer be sold through ordinary commercial channels and is in risk of becoming food waste. This food is referred to as “surplus food” and includes food with short shelf life, products with errors in the packaging or labeling that don’t affect the safety of the food, seasonal products after their season (Who buys huge pumpkins after Halloween?), and over production. By collecting this food, the Norwegian Food Banks act as a safety net for the food industry, helping it reduce food waste.
In the context of the Pandemic, Old El Paso decided to donate ordinary food products that are not necessarily surplus food through this campaign, and is therefore an exception to the rule.
“It’s a very nice contribution. Matsentralen already has a good collaboration with Haugen-Gruppen, which delivers surplus goods from its brands to us, including from Old El Paso. In connection with the launch of the new game, we are now receiving for a short period extra items from Old El Paso, which in principle could have been sold in ordinary channels”, says Aubert.
Through the game, taco-loving customers can help increase the number of items donated by giving away their achieved points to the Food Bank, instead of redeeming the points for gifts for themselves. The campaign will start from March 8 to May 31, 2021.
“The collaboration shows that the brands in General Mills are keen to give back. We are happy that through this activity we can engage our consumers with an interactive and fun experience, and at the same time allow them to donate products to the more vulnerable in our society”, says Sebastien Girard, Nordic sales manager at Old El Paso.
