The supermarket chain Morrisons has pledged to donate £10m worth of stock to local food banks by the end of July.
The supermarket said it planned to help restock food banks by producing extra food at its food-making sites, which will run for an extra hour each day to help meet the additional demand.
It will also deliver additional pre-packed goods such as canned food and pasta to its stores specifically for them to distribute to local food banks, a statement from the retailer said.
The company will also lift the limits it has placed on customers to prevent panic buying, allowing them to buy four of each item, rather than just three, in the hope that this will encourage them to make donations at food bank collection points in supermarkets.
David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons, said: “As a food-maker and shopkeeper, we are uniquely placed to help.
“We know food banks are finding life very difficult and running our manufacturing sites for an extra hour each day to help restock them is the right decision at this time.
“The core purpose of all 96,537 colleagues at Morrisons is to play our full part in feeding the nation.”
The company is using the hashtag #ItsMoreThanOurJob to promote its pledge and to encourage customers to donate to the in-store donation hubs.