In 2024, US Cold cast a vision for all food products passing through its facilities to either be consumed or beneficially used, preventing waste whenever possible. Despite an abundance of products, food insecurity continues to pose major challenges in 2026, with many communities struggling to access adequate nutrition. For a country estimated to waste billions of pounds of food annually with proportionately massive associated costs, the need for awareness and action has never been more pronounced. As key links in the U.S. cold chain, food warehousers and distributors are uniquely positioned to facilitate tangible solutions that minimize waste at multiple stages of a product’s life cycle. Storing and transporting both ingredients and finished goods, US Cold can mitigate losses before and after production in partnership with its customers, even salvaging value from ‘in-transit’ goods rejected from retailers.