More than 1,000 volunteers in Des Moines, Iowa, packaged 990,864 hunger relief meals in a single hour on Tuesday, claiming the Guinness World Records title for packaging the greatest number of hunger relief meals within a one-hour span, according to the World Food Prize Foundation. The total nearly doubled the previous record of 530,064.
The World Food Prize Foundation and Meals from the Heartland led the attempt, which closed opening day of the 2026 Borlaug Dialogue as the World Food Prize observed its 40th anniversary.
Across 60 tables, each staffed by 16 volunteers, crews filled upward of 43 boxes per table within the hour. A single box holds four large bags that together make 216 individual meals. Each meal blends rice, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, vitamins and minerals into six servings that cook with boiling water…