Toronto, Canada, February 25, 2010 – McCain was honoured during a luncheon held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., U.S. where PR News announced the winners of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility Awards. McCain’s first global social responsibility report – Our Journey – won the 2009 best annual report. McCain first introduced its report, available at www.mccain.com, in October 2009.

According to Dale Morrison, McCain’s global president and CEO, while the company's journey toward social responsibility began more than 50 years ago, the term "Corporate Social Responsibility" was not common language when co-founders Harrison and Wallace McCain first ventured out in 1957. The two brothers, however, operated with the philosophy that good ethics is good business and with the highest regard for people, cultural differences and for building mutually beneficial relationships. Even then, the company founders knew that making decisions with a view to social, economic and cultural challenges was the key to sustained success.

Although McCain has long operated its business with an underlying philosophy of social responsibility, the company had not taken steps to  communicate its efforts, progress or initiatives, largely because it has remained privately owned since its founding. 

In recent years, however, customers, employees and other stakeholders have been demanding greater transparency from companies, particularly with respect to environment practices and social compliance throughout the supply chain. The publication of McCain’s first social responsibility report marks an historic step in the company’s journey of becoming more market facing, giving customers the information they desire in choosing their brands. The publication also provides the company with a key marketing and employee recruitment tool as business partners and prospective employees look to associate with the most reputable companies.  

McCain invites input to its social responsibility and reporting practices at: csr@mccain.com. Feedback received will help the company in shaping future communications.  

About McCain Foods Limited:

McCain Foods Limited is an international leader in the frozen food industry, employing 20,000 people and operating 53 production facilities on six continents. A privately owned company headquartered in Florenceville and Toronto, Canada, McCain Foods has annual sales of CDN$6.5 billion. McCain Foods is the world’s largest producer of frozen potato specialties. The company’s products can be found in thousands of restaurants and supermarket freezers in more than 130 countries around the world.