More than 1,000 volunteers are expected at the Iowa Events Center on Tuesday. Half of the meals packed will stay in Iowa, while the rest will support hunger-relief efforts in other states and countries. Registration is free.
By Hola America News
DES MOINES, Iowa — More than 1,000 volunteers are expected to gather at the Iowa Events Center on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to attempt a Guinness World Record by packing 600,000 hunger-relief meals in just one hour.
The World Food Prize Foundation and Des Moines-based nonprofit Meals from the Heartland are organizing the effort at the EMC Expo Center, located at 730 3rd St., Des Moines, IA 50309.
Volunteer check-in begins at 5:30 p.m., when participants will receive instructions and food-safety gear. Meal packing will start at 6:30 p.m., with organizers aiming to complete 600,000 meals by 7:30 p.m.
Registration is free, and the organizers are inviting individuals, coworkers, families, student groups and community organizations to participate. The event is part of the World Food Prize Foundation’s 40th anniversary activities in Des Moines.
Volunteers should arrive at the Iowa Events Center by 5:30 p.m.
The free volunteer registration for the World Record Meal Packaging Attempt is available through the event’s registration platform.
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.
- Volunteer check-in: 5:30 p.m.
- Meal-packing start: 6:30 p.m.
- Location: EMC Expo Center at the Iowa Events Center.
- Address: 730 3rd St., Des Moines, IA 50309.
- Registration: Free; advance registration is available online.
Organizers have set aside time before the record attempt for participants to check in, receive instructions and prepare for food handling. The public invitation includes both individual volunteers and groups.
The meal-packing event is separate from the full Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue conference, which has its own registration and admission arrangements.
Half of the meals will go to Iowa food banks
Although the event is tied to a world record attempt, its food distribution plan has a direct impact on Iowa.
Half of the meals packed will remain in Iowa and be distributed to children and families through six local food bank partners, according to Meals from the Heartland.
The remaining meals are intended for hunger-relief programs serving communities in Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and eight countries around the world.
The nonprofit is preparing two types of meals for distribution. Meals intended for Iowa and other nearby communities will contain enriched pasta, textured vegetable protein and a fortified cheese mix with vitamins and minerals.
Meals prepared for international distribution will include rice, soy protein, dried vegetables, vitamins and minerals.
Meals from the Heartland estimates that the full 600,000-meal goal would provide enough food to feed 2,307 children for one year. That figure is the organization’s estimate of the meals’ potential reach, not a confirmed distribution outcome.
The current world record stands at 530,064 meals in one hour
The organizers are aiming to surpass the existing Guinness World Record of 530,064 hunger-relief meals packed in one hour.
Reaching 600,000 meals would exceed that mark by nearly 70,000 meals. However, the target remains an attempt until the event has taken place and the result has been verified.
Meals from the Heartland has organized volunteer meal-packing activities since 2008 and reports distributing more than 290 million meals through its hunger-relief work.
The nonprofit and the World Food Prize Foundation are combining that experience with a large volunteer effort during the annual international food and agriculture gathering in Des Moines.
The event is part of World Food Prize’s 40th anniversary
The record attempt coincides with the 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, scheduled for Oct. 20–22 in Des Moines.
The gathering brings together experts in agriculture, food security, nutrition and international development. This year’s program marks 40 years since the World Food Prize was established in 1986.
Named for Iowa-born agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, the annual event focuses on efforts to improve food production, nutrition and access to food worldwide.
The community meal-packing effort gives local volunteers a way to participate in the week’s hunger-relief work without registering for the full conference.
Related: Free meals, food pantries and ways to help in the Des Moines metro.
The world record attempt begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the EMC Expo Center. Volunteers are scheduled to arrive one hour earlier, at 5:30 p.m., for check-in and preparation.
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