Hormel Foods Announces 2025 Class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes

Rhea-AI Summary

Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) announced its 2025 class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes, recognizing 10 U.S. youth leaders working on food security, waste reduction, sustainable agriculture, and community support. Honorees will visit Hormel Foods' global headquarters in Austin, Minnesota for recognition, mentorship, and scaling support. The program includes mental health and resilience training through Be Strong for cohorts and families. Individual honorees cited include founders of nonprofits addressing composting, food recovery, foster care meals, bee conservation, and large-scale meal and supply distribution.

News Market Reaction

+0.39%

1 alert

+0.39% News Effect

On the day this news was published, HRL gained 0.39%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Meals served: 220,000 meals Student volunteers: 62,500 volunteers Cost advantage: 4,754 times cheaper +5 more

8 metrics

Meals served 220,000 meals Hand to Hunger nonprofit impact

Student volunteers 62,500 volunteers Hand to Hunger mobilized student base

Cost advantage 4,754 times cheaper Eco-friendly beer-based pesticide vs leading pesticide

Beekeeping savings $1 billion annually Potential savings for beekeeping industry

Food distributed 7 million pounds Joshua's Heart Foundation efforts described

Meals served 6 million meals Joshua's Heart Foundation meal impact

Care bags 6,000 care bags Living Outside nonprofit distributions

Backpacks delivered 3,000 backpacks The Backpack Project support for homeless individuals

Market Reality Check

Price: $24.48 Vol: Volume 4,381,800 is below...

normal vol

$24.48 Last Close

Volume Volume 4,381,800 is below the 20-day average of 5,599,325, suggesting modest engagement ahead of this CSR update. normal

Technical Shares at $23.71 are trading below the 200-day moving average of $27.55, reflecting a weaker longer-term trend despite the positive community-focused news.

Peers on Argus

HRL gained 0.47% while key packaged-food peers like MKC (+2.39%), PPC (+2.33%), ...

HRL gained 0.47% while key packaged-food peers like MKC (+2.39%), PPC (+2.33%), SJM (+0.91%) and GIS (+0.63%) were also positive, with K roughly flat. With no momentum scanner signals and mixed peer magnitudes, today’s move appears more stock-specific than a broad sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 04 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 04	Earnings and guidance	Positive	+3.8%	Reported FY2025 results, raised dividend, and issued fiscal 2026 guidance.
Dec 03	Brand recognition	Positive	+0.8%	Named to Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter list for marketing impact.
Dec 01	CSR youth initiative	Positive	+0.4%	Announced 2025 10 Under 20 Food Heroes cohort with mentorship and support.
Nov 24	Dividend increase	Positive	+1.7%	Declared 1% quarterly dividend hike, marking 60th consecutive annual increase.
Nov 17	ESG recognition	Positive	-1.6%	Recognized as a 2025 Best for Vets employer for the 13th straight year.

Pattern Detected

Recent company news and shareholder-friendly actions have generally seen positive price alignment; only one reputational accolade saw a negative reaction.

Recent Company History

Over the past month, Hormel Foods has combined corporate responsibility and shareholder-focused actions. On Nov 24, it announced its 60th consecutive annual dividend increase to an implied $1.17 per share, followed by fiscal 2025 results on Dec 4 with $12.1B in net sales and 2026 guidance, both drawing positive price reactions. Brand and ESG recognition—Fast Company’s Brands That Matter, Best for Vets, and the 10 Under 20 Food Heroes program—highlight ongoing reputational investment; this article fits that pattern of values-driven initiatives alongside steady core operations.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf

Shelf Active

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2025-12-05

An effective Form S-3ASR universal shelf filed on Dec 5, 2025 permits Hormel Foods to issue senior unsecured debt securities over time. Specific bond terms will be set in future prospectus supplements, and proceeds may be used for working capital, investments, capital spending, refinancing, stockholder returns, or other corporate purposes.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Hormel Foods’ 2025 class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes, emphasizing youth ...

Analysis

This announcement highlights Hormel Foods’ 2025 class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes, emphasizing youth leadership in food security, waste reduction, and sustainability, along with mental health support through Be Strong. It fits a broader pattern of brand and ESG recognition alongside dividend growth and steady results. Investors may watch how such initiatives reinforce corporate reputation and stakeholder engagement, while also monitoring future use of the company’s universal senior debt shelf for capital allocation decisions.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Honorees to gather at the company's global headquarters for recognition and mentorship

AUSTIN, Minn., Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, today announced its fourth cohort of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes, recognizing the efforts of young people across the United States who are working to create a more transparent, secure, and sustainable food system.

The program fosters a nationwide network of young changemakers united by a shared passion for improving their communities. To recognize and celebrate these young leaders, Hormel Foods will host the group at its global headquarters in Austin, Minnesota where honorees will connect with Hormel Foods leaders and discuss scaling their projects. This support aims to expand the reach of their initiatives and help them continue to grow their leadership skills.

"We are incredibly proud to welcome these young leaders to Hormel Foods and provide them with the resources and support they need to amplify their impact," said Katie Clark, senior vice president and chief communications officer for Hormel Foods. "From passing state legislation to developing sustainable farming solutions, each of the 10 Under 20 Food Heroes has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to building a more sustainable food system, and we are excited to see how they will continue to shape the future of food."

This year's 10 Under 20 program also includes mental health and resilience training for the cohort and their families through Be Strong, an organization aimed at strengthening mental, emotional, and relational health. This support ensures the well-being of these young leaders as they tackle challenges in the food system.

The 2025 cohort of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes includes:

Adam Belouad, 19, Falls Church, Va.

Adam serves as the executive director of Hand to Hunger, a nonprofit that works to combat food insecurity by bringing students and corporations together to provide meals for those in need. Together with some friends, he started a weekly tradition of cooking warm meals for a local homeless shelter. This weekly tradition grew from 30 bagged lunches to 4,000 meals by the third month and now has grown into a global community of tens of thousands of volunteers. Hand to Hunger has served over 220,000 meals and mobilized 62,500 student volunteers.

Ali Muzik, 17, Austin, Minn.

Ali focuses her work on enhancing the Packer Pantry and Clothing Closet, a student-led group that brings together several different programs that provide food, clothing, and personal items for students and families in need. She helps organize volunteers and shares the pantry's story with the community. She implemented an online ordering form to optimize pantry usage, which inventories items and provides ease of product pick up for students.

Angelina Xu & Advika Agarwal, 19 & 19, Clarksburg, Md.

Angelina & Advika co-founded Compostology, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing food waste composting, recovery, and prevention programs to every school in Montgomery County, Maryland. The organization seeks to simultaneously tackle food waste, hunger, and an inequitable K-12 educational opportunity. The pair have led postcard campaigns at 20+ schools and lobbied at the Maryland General Assembly. Their efforts helped pass SB 124, a state bill that allocated $1.25 million in grant funding for K-12 schools to start their own composting and food recovery programs.

Atreya Manaswi, 19, Orlando, Fla.

Atreya works with the USDA and University of Florida on honeybee conservation through his organization, Save Our Bees. His research targets the small hive beetle, one of the most destructive pests threatening pollinators. He developed an eco-friendly beer-based pesticide blend that is 4,754 times cheaper than the leading pesticide. His innovation has the potential to save the beekeeping industry over $1 billion annually and successfully eradicated infestations in field trials without harming pollinators.

Bella Brown, 18, Chicago, Ill.

Bella is the co-founder of Living Outside, a nonprofit that creates care packages with essential food and clothing items to hand out to those in need. Today, Bella has grown the organization into 20 youth-led chapters worldwide, including in Nigeria, Benin, Haiti, and Peru. She provides seed funding and mentorship and has distributed more than 6,000 care bags. She has also raised over $8,000 in monetary donations and hosted more than 30 events, impacting thousands of homeless individuals.

Bruce Matos, 17, Weston, Conn.

Bruce is the co-founder of the Joshua's Heart Foundation (JHF) Connecticut Junior Advisory Board, a youth-led group of middle and high school students. They organize and run their own projects to combat hunger and poverty, through food drives, school supply collections, and book donations to local schools. Inspired by JHS's grocery distribution model, he expanded the organization's mission into his home state. As a founding member, Bruce has helped distribute over 7 million pounds of food, serving more than 6 million meals. As head of the partners & sponsors team, he engaged corporate donors and helped raise over $43,000, impacting more than 1,500 families.

Chris Matthews, 18, McDonough, Ga.

Chris (CJ) started Blankies 4 My Buddies, a nonprofit that delivers blankets to those dealing with difficult situations like illness, loss, grief, food insecurity, and homelessness. He started his project to support others after his family experienced a difficult pregnancy loss, channeling his grief to address sadness and situations like food insecurity. CJ hosts events that seek to show love through meals, blankets, and other means of support. To date, he has helped over 5,000 families through his annual The Giving Bowl event, a youth football tournament that promotes giving by inviting attending families to pick up essential items like food, cold-weather gear, and toys.

Hunter Guthrie, 17, Vienna, Va.

Hunter founded A Taste of Home, Inc, a nonprofit that solves the dual problem of reducing food waste and food insecurity in Northern Virginia by retrieving unsold food and delivering it to shelters. He contacts companies for food donations, which he picks up and brings to the shelter. He has also raised over $60,000 in donations to purchase the most requested items the shelter rarely receives. He encourages other teens to participate by offering volunteer hours for every 10 to-go meals a volunteer makes and donates.

Laura Kopec, 20, Tampa, Fla.

Laura started Feeding the Fosters which provides meals and unique dining experiences (such as trips to hibachi restaurants) for foster children in the Tampa area. The nonprofit has prepared nearly 40,000 individual meals with the help of more than 2,500 volunteers and raised over $300,000 through grants, donations, and fundraisers, allowing the group to use a commercial kitchen.

Ryan Gustis, 19, Woodridge, Ill.

Ryan founded The Backpack Project, a nonprofit that hand-delivers backpacks full of necessities to individuals who are homeless. Within each backpack, he provides essentials like food, socks, outerwear, toiletries, and a handmade card for positivity. To date, over 3,000 backpacks have been delivered throughout Chicago, the suburbs, and other surrounding states where family and friends have traveled.

Together, these 10 Under 20 Food Heroes are shaping the future of the food system through youth leadership, sustainability, innovation and community-driven solutions.

To learn more about the 10 Under 20 Food Heroes program, visit 10under20foodheroes.com.

About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.^™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue. Its brands include PLANTERS^®, SKIPPY^®, SPAM^®, HORMEL^® NATURAL CHOICE^®, APPLEGATE^®, JUSTIN'S^®, WHOLLY^®, HORMEL^® BLACK LABEL^®, COLUMBUS^®, JENNIE-O^® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America's most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World's Best Companies and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.^™ — to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com.

Contact:	Media Relations
	Hormel Foods
	media@hormel.com

 

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SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

FAQ

What did Hormel Foods (HRL) announce on December 1, 2025 about the 10 Under 20 Food Heroes?

Hormel Foods announced the 2025 class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes and said honorees will visit its Austin, Minnesota headquarters for mentorship and program support.

When will the 2025 10 Under 20 Food Heroes meet Hormel Foods leaders at HQ?

The announcement states honorees will gather at Hormel Foods' global headquarters in Austin, Minnesota; the press release is dated December 1, 2025.

How does Hormel Foods support the 10 Under 20 Food Heroes beyond recognition?

Hormel Foods will provide mentorship, networking, and help scale projects, and the program includes mental health and resilience training via Be Strong.

Which types of projects do the 10 Under 20 Food Heroes (HRL) represent in 2025?

Projects include food rescue and redistribution, school composting and food recovery, foster-care meal programs, honeybee conservation, meal-service expansion, and care-package distribution.

Does the 2025 cohort include any policy or funding outcomes tied to their work?

Yes; the cohort includes founders who lobbied for and supported SB 124, which allocated $1.25 million in grant funding for K-12 composting and food recovery programs.

How can investors or the public learn more about Hormel Foods' 10 Under 20 Food Heroes program?

More information is available at 10under20foodheroes.com and via Hormel Foods investor or corporate communications channels.