McCain Foods USA, Inc. recognized as Start! Fit-Friendly Company

    EASTON – American employers continue to face ever-increasing health care costs and simultaneous losses in productivity of $225.8 billion a year. Preventable health problems due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are the root of the problem.     The American Heart Association (AHA) is offering employers an opportunity to address these issues proactively through its Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program, a primary element in the AHA’s groundbreaking new Start! movement, which launched last January.
    The Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program assists and recognizes companies that demonstrate progressive leadership by making the health and wellness of their employees a priority.
    The AHA recently recognized McCain Foods USA, Inc., which employs 475 people at its Easton facility, as a Platinum Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company for fulfilling the following parameters:
    • Offering employees physical activity support.
    • Increasing healthy eating options at the worksite.
    • Promoting a wellness culture.
    • Implementing at least nine criteria as outlined by the AHA in the areas of physical activity, nutrition and culture.
    • Demonstrating measurable outcomes related to workplace wellness.
    “We are extremely honored and very pleased to be recognized by the American Heart Association’s Start! Movement as a Platinum Level Start! Fit-Friendly Company,” said Frank van Schaayk, chief executive officer of McCain Foods USA, Inc. “Employee wellness is a very important priority here at McCain and we are committed to providing the best workplace environment possible. We are excited to see continued benefits for our employees in the future and even more positive results for our company overall.”
    McCain Foods Limited, a privately owned multinational frozen foods manufacturer, is the world’s largest producer of frozen French fries and the manufacturer of other quality food products sold in more than 120 countries. With headquarters in Lisle, Ill., McCain Foods USA, Inc., the United States subsidiary of McCain Foods Limited, has four major potato-processing facilities and seven other manufacturing operations in eight states.
    For more information about the AHA’s Start! Program including the free Start! Walking Program Kit, My Start! On-Line Tracking Tools, Fit-Friendly certification guidelines, and the Start! Heart Walk event, please visit www.americanheart.org/start or call the AHA Maine office at (800) 937-0944.