250,000 nutritional Irish milk powder-based meal kits on the way to Ukrainian hospitals and Poland to feed refugees

Production of the humanitarian cargo from milk powder donated by Glanbia Ireland from our family farms was completed at the Epicom/Complex Nutrition plant in Navan, Co Meath and the much-needed donation will feed thousands of families in medical settings and fleeing Ukraine. 

Such is the demand for the ready to use meal kits that the Ukrainian Embassy is to fly part of the donation directly to medics in the Ukraine. The remainder will be shipped on Monday by other volunteer companies in the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Ireland network.

It’s all part of a number of company and community-driven initiatives which sees Glanbia Ireland, its employees and farm family suppliers committing a donation package of €50,000 to those most in need through the food donation and support for UNICEF’s work in the region.

It’s a massive team effort and sees Glanbia Ireland donate 5 tonnes of milk powder produced using milk from thousands of family farms across Ireland.

Glanbia Nutritionals has also donated all of the vitamins and minerals used to fortify the meals. 

Complex Nutrition has been a Glanbia Ireland third party manufacturer over several years and CEO, John Cunningham, who joined together with our Head of Third Party Sourcing, Martin Tynan, to make it happen 

“Glanbia, its suppliers, employees and everyone involved with the company should be very proud that all of the milk powder, all of the vitamins and minerals for 250,000 servings we will manufacture here will be made using product you donated.

“We’re in the complex nutrition area to add value to milk powder and the product we’re making will provide a full, nutritional meal for anyone aged 3 years of age and over just by adding cold water. The product is robust, it has a shelf life of 18 months and can easily be made in a cup or a jug.

“We’ve donated shakers for every box along with an instruction leaflet in both English and Ukrainian. We have 12 nationalities among our workforce here – including one Ukrainian, lots of Polish, Latvians, Lithuanians, Slovenians and Romanians. They’re all very proud of what we’re doing and are also glad to play their part.”

John Cunningham paid tribute to everyone for the speed at which they have come together to get the urgent supplies manufactured and deliver 22 pallets in a 40ft container in the coming days through a network of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Ireland.

Glanbia Ireland’s Martin Tynan said: “Everyone feels so helpless so we were delighted to get the call from John looking for support. Everyone involved here can feel that they have done something very useful, very worthwhile. We’ve all been stuck to the news and every single farm family supplier, employee and more has played a part in this and should feel proud.”

Glanbia Ireland Chairman, John Murphy, said: “Our initial aim was to get 100,000 milk powder based meal kits to refugees in Poland. Now that has grown to 250,000 and Glanbia is also providing the minerals and vitamins needed to fortify the food.”

In addition to our corporate monetary donation to UNICEF of €30,000, we have opened a fundraising page ‘Glanbia Ireland Showing Support for Ukraine’ on IDonate where our employees and our farmer families have the option of making a contribution towards the large-scale humanitarian efforts on the ground as millions of people are forced to leave their homes. 

If you, your friends or family would like to make a contribution to the effort please click here and feel free to share this link or the QR code below far and wide.

“This initiative is all part of Glanbia Ireland’s commitment to donate €50,000 through the food donation and fund-raising within the company and within the community to help those fleeing persecution in Ukraine. We’re delighted to be supporting UNICEF’s work on the ground in Ukraine through efforts which include employee fundraising, supplier and farmer donations as well as a central, corporate donation,” said the Chairman. 

“It is at times like this that we all appreciate how fortunate we are and the importance of supporting others in need. Everyone involved in every single part of both initiatives should be rightly proud of their efforts.”