Publisher: Food Bank News
Published: August 23, 2026
Source: Read at Food Bank News (https://foodbanknews.org/hatch-invests-750k-in-protein-repacking/)
Category: Food Access
HATCH for Hunger announced a $750,000 investment in Fresh Connect Central to add meat-grinding, cutting, and smaller-portion bagging capacity to its protein repackaging room. Fresh Connect Central, a unit of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, supplies wholesale food to other food banks and is based in Indiana. HATCH also committed a $100,000 gift to help food banks reduce freight costs for protein shipped from its Indianapolis distribution center while new equipment is purchased and installed. HATCH said it had raised $38 million from 18 partners toward a broader $40 million effort to improve protein processing, packaging, refrigerating, and transport infrastructure.
Why this matters: The added capacity could give food banks more ways to receive and distribute meat in smaller portions. Freight support may lower a cost barrier for moving protein into communities.
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