Nearly one in five workers who keep the country fed are themselves using food banks.
A shock survey also shows that a third of respondents have depended on family or friends for food.
The findings are contained in a report by the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAW) based on discussions with members.
Food workers represent a sizeable portion of staff in the UK, covering production, retail outlets and distribution.
Almost 17 per cent of the food workers who took part said they have relied on food banks, up from 7%.
Those depending on family and friends also rose from 20 per cent to 34 per cent.
Over 60 per cent of respondents said their wages are not currently high enough to meet their basic needs.
Nearly nine in ten staff said they had reduced energy use in their home to save money.
A majority of people contacted said they believed they had eaten less than they thought they should due to a lack of money.
According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 13.4 million people were living in poverty in 2020/21.
Of these 7.9 million were working-age adults, 3.9 million were children and 1.7 million were pensioners.
General Secretary of the BFAWU, Sarah Woolley, said:
"Too many food workers are going cold and hungry and need a pay rise. The suffering of our members, the key workers who kept people fed during the pandemic and who continue to ensure people are fed all of the time, is a national disgrace. The fact that food workers cannot afford the food they grow, produce, distribute and supply should be seen as a national embarrassment and scandal.
"Our findings are a shocking indictment on how food workers are treated in the workplace and the levels of pay they receive. Food workers are a vital cog in the functioning of society, they are the epitome of a key worker; what can be more important than feeding people. Sadly, however their value to society is not reflected in their pay or indeed in their terms and conditions. This has to change."
Labour MSP Paul O'Kane said: "Tackling food poverty was meant to be a defining mission of the SNP government, but as the cost of living crisis bites this issue is only getting worse.
“Scotland’s food sector has been left behind by a government more focused on spin than investing in growth. It is shocking that so many workers in the industry have themselves been forced to turn to food banks because their wages are not keeping up with cost of living and the food they produce.
"We know this is not a long term solution to food poverty and soaring food prices but instead of tackling it, the SNP are wasting time fighting amongst themselves whilst Scots go hungry.
"Serious action must be taken to tackle food poverty and the reliance on food banks or else we will only see these numbers go up.”
SNP MP David Linden said: “While the SNP government is putting money into people’s pockets with progressive policies like the Scottish Child Payment, the Tories and pro-Brexit Labour Party are making people poorer by imposing cuts and a hard Brexit, which is inflating food prices and damaging the economy.
“The SNP will continue to press the UK government to deliver an urgent package of support to help struggling households - but families across Scotland will continue to suffer until we escape the damaging decisions being imposed on us by Westminster.”
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