Tereos donates hydroalcoholic gel to food banks

The Group was extremely active in providing support during the first phase of the health crisis by donating hydroalcoholic solution, and it is continuing its commitment to organizations working on behalf of those who are most disadvantaged.  As part of a partnership spanning a number of years, Tereos donated 30 pallets—24,000 liters—of hydroalcoholic gel last January to the FFBA (Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires — French Federation of Food Banks). This product will be distributed across the FFBA’s six branches to supply food banks on the ground. 

The gel has of course become a basic need for this organization and its beneficiaries, in the same way as the sugar already distributed in the form of donations by Tereos in France. These came in the form of individual donations made by employees of the Group and an annual institutional donation of 25,000 tons.  

A gift made possible with the development of a new product  

This hydroalcoholic gel is the result of research and development work that began at Tereos Sugar France after an initial emergency phase favoring hydroalcoholic solution that was quicker to introduce at the plant. Like the hydroalcoholic solution, Tereos‘ new hydroalcoholic gel is made using alcohol from French agriculture and marketed by Tereos Sugar France as a leading player in this field for the pharmaceutical market. It produces a natural, odorless, antibacterial and antiviral gel.  

Once the development pilots were complete, teams at Tereos Sugar France selected one of the formulations tested, creating an opportunity to donate the batches that were not kept but that still met the optimum quality requirements.  

Helping those who help: In 2020, over a million more people in food insecurity 

An obvious solution to the very important needs raised by the FFBA. “This past year has put a lot of charities under strain. The idea of reaching out to those who serve the most vulnerable came about quite naturally and we are proud to help our long-standing partner, the FFBA. Thanks to the organization’s nationwide network, this product can benefit the greatest number of people and this initiative provides us with a sense of purpose toward a common cause,” says Laurent Perrette, Public Affairs Manager at Tereos.  

For several months, the organization has been faced with two challenges: protecting its volunteers who have been very active on the ground since the start of the pandemic, but also the vulnerable people who come to the premises — whose numbers have increased in 2020 (+20% vs 2019). Indeed, more than a million people fell into poverty in France, according to figures published by the organization at the end of the year.