Trash or school lunch? New Etobicoke facility turns surplus food into healthy school meals
· Toronto Sun
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Second Harvest is betting its new processing facility provides nutritious food for school programs.
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“Food waste and food insecurity are deeply connected,” Second Harvest CEO Lori Nikkel said on Tuesday. “We have food that could nourish people, and we have children who need access to nutritious food. The challenge — and the opportunity — is building the systems that connect the two.”
The new facility will enable the Etobicoke-based company to rescue extra food so it can be distributed to communities over longer periods of time.
The food rescue organization says it will collect excess food from farms, producers, retailers and other food businesses.
A new way of doing things
The charitable organization is using a food processing machine to receive excess or reusable food at the front door and send it out the back door vacuum-sealed and wrapped for delivery.
“At a time when many families are struggling with rising food costs, a stronger school food system offers a meaningful source of stability and support for children. When kids have reliable access to nutritious meals at school, they’re better positioned to learn, grow and thrive,” Nikkel said. “This facility allows us to do more with the food we already have so we can reach more students and communities throughout the year.”
The facility has the capability to produce a wide variety of fruits and vegetables like corn, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes. Second Harvest says 750,000 pounds of fresh produce can be processed annually. The first production runs are expected to commence later this month.
“The new model brings together food rescue, Canadian agriculture, school food and social enterprise under one roof to recover more surplus produce and strengthen connections between growers, food businesses, community organizations and schools,” the company said in a release.
According to Daily Bread Food Bank statistics from December 2025, more than one in 10 Torontonians relied on the food bank to feed themselves and their families.