Milestone Moment: Sanitarium and New Zealand Food Network Deliver over 14-Million Breakfasts to Kiwis in Need!

Sanitarium's partnership with New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) has helped distribute over 14-million breakfast servings of Weet-Bix and other cereals to more than 60 NZFN Food Hubs across New Zealand over the last five years! These hubs are on the frontlines, tackling food insecurity across the country.

NZFN Chief Executive, Gavin Findlay, says

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity that Sanitarium has shown over the past six years, and their ongoing passion for our mission. Their consistent support has meant we can regularly provide the communities we serve with healthy breakfast options, especially as more and more whānau struggle to put meals on the table.”

Under the partnership, NZFN’s two centralised distribution centres receive, sort and store donated food from food donors. Donations are divided into more manageable quantities for and then sent to NZFN's registered Food Hubs each week or as needed for local distribution.

Although the over 14-million breakfast milestone marks a huge achievement in assisting NZFN to improve food security across Aotearoa, the need for donations has become more urgent. NZFN's Hunger Monitor report shows that food insecurity is an ongoing issue across the country with one in three households experiencing some form of food insecurity in 2025 and of those, more than two-thirds experienced it for the first time.

A client of Te Tai Poutini Kai Puku, a NZFN Food Hub based in Hokitika, emphasises the importance of the food donations.

"We’re so grateful for the Weet-Bix and powdered milk — it makes such a difference for our teenagers’ mornings. Sometimes breakfast is skipped because we don’t have cereal, toast or milk at the end of the fortnights pay.

“Our rent and power take a large part of our income, our car needs a replacement tyre and with four children, one a toddler and one income it’s always a struggle to have all the meals covered. Knowing they can start the day with a good breakfast and energy for school means the world to us,” they say.

Sanitarium NZ General Manager, Michael Barton praised the partnership experience, saying,

“Serving our communities in need is part of our purpose to ensure even those who are facing hard times have access to nutritious foods. Our partnership with New Zealand Food Network ensures that this gets to the communities that need it most, building healthy, sustainable communities together.”

Learn more about how you can support the New Zealand Food Network here