As the novel coronavirus has spread throughout the world, Puratos is providing support to healthcare workers battling the crisis on the front lines, to hospitals caring for the sick as well as to more vulnerable communities.
We thank our colleagues for triggering such heart-warming initiatives as they truly reflect the values and way of acting we believe in at Puratos.
Supporting frontline workers
Ever since the outbreak of the dreaded Covid-19, first line teams have been working around the clock to bring things under control. Colleagues around the world, in some cases with the help of local partners, are stepping up to support those healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic.
- Puratos Brazil delivers 2.400 breads per day to the doctors of a field hospital in Pacaembu, Sao Paulo. View the video
- Puratos China provided free ingredients to Kengee and Crown Bakery in order to help them supply free bread on a daily basis to hospitals in Wuhan City. From January to the end of March over 300.000 baked goods were distributed.
- Puratos Grand Place Vietnam and ABC Bakery supplied 10.000 loafs of healthy bread to the doctors and medical staff of the Binh Duong field hospital and the Tropical hospital in Ho Chi Minh city. The healthy bread contains dark rye, walnut, raisin, dried sweet potatoes, black sesame and is mixed with honey. View the video
- In collaboration with Vu Phuc Baking, Puratos Grand Place Vietnam provided another 5.000 loaves of black barley bread, containing dark rye and multicereal, were delivered to health care workers at the frontline against COVID-19 in the Mekong Delta and Ha Noi. See post on Facebook
- Puratos Turkey cooperated with Has-er to distribute free bread to the hospital personnel of Izmit. A few days later the health care workers also received a breakfast box containing a sourdough bread.
Bringing hope to people in need
Some people have been hit harder by Covid-19 and are more vulnerable and isolated than ever. Colleagues around the world are supporting the elderly and people with underlying health conditions with a series of local initiatives:
Focus messaging on your customers
- Puratos Australia baked with love for the seriously ill children at the Randwick House in Sydney. Easter Hot Cross Buns and other baked goods were donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia. See post on Facebook
- The Sofadex-Puratos Morocco team expressed its solidarity with the patients and the medical staff at the Moulay Yusuf hospital in Casablanca by providing them with free sweets and baked goods. See post on Facebook
- For Easter, Puratos Italy donated breads to the Canteen of Padre Lino in Parma. A small contribution to cheer up the Easter table of some people who need our help the most. See post on Facebook
- Twice a week Puratos Costa Rica is producing and delivering fresh bread to the elderly of the Blanco Cervantes Geriatric Hospital and the Carlos Maria Ulloa Home. The bread is served with a little card that reads “When I look into your eyes, I see wisdom, compassion and the purest love in the world”. Hoping it will bring a smile on their face in these challenging times where they cannot receive any visitors. See post on Facebook
- For Easter, Puratos Chile in collaboration with Southcone brought chocolate to hospitals & residential care centers for elderly people.
Securing protective gear
Healthcare workers rely on personal protective equipment to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others. But shortages are leaving doctors, nurses and other frontline workers dangerously ill-equipped to care for Covid-19 patients, due to limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons.
- End of March, Puratos France donated all of their inventory gowns and protective accessories from different premises to help nurses and doctors fight covid-19.
This material usually serves visitors to follow our hygiene requirements during site and production facility visits, which have been suspended since mid-March.
Leveraging the local food heroes
Bakers play a key local role towards a well-functioning food supply. To guarantee food security for fellow citizens, it is important to help bakers support their local communities.
- Puratos Belgium launched a request to bakers to bake and deliver healthy Vita+ breads for the care takers in the hospitals. The Vita+ bread mixes and bread bags were supplied for free by Puratos to the baker. In the first week, 55 bakers collaborated in this effort to support health care workers. The first breads were delivered at the AZ Sint-Lucas hospital in Gent. We hope many other bakers will follow in the coming weeks. Read updates about this action on Facebook
More about how Puratos is facing covid-19
As goes for everyone, at Puratos, the health emergency caused by Coronavirus is having a significant impact on our work and our daily lives.
We would like to inform you that, in full compliance with local authority guidelines around the world, Puratos has taken all the internal measures necessary to strengthen the health and safety of our employees and business partners, as well as to continue to ensure the production and supply of our products to all our customers.
We are issuing some articles to help guide you through these challenging times:
- Making Hygiene your bakery’s priority to fight covid-19
- Enter the world of online ordering and contribute to social distancing with Bakeronline
- Adapt your bakery’s services in times of covid-19
- Toolkit for your store
If you have any questions, please visit our website or contact your local Puratos representative.
This article is based on current available information and will be updated accordingly.
