ACH Food Companies Teams with IRI for Market and Consumer Understanding Solutions.

CHICAGO -- ACH Receives Comprehensive Understanding of Consumers with Next Generation Information Solutions from IRI 

Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), the leading global provider of enterprise market information solutions for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, and healthcare industries, today announced that ACH Food Companies, Inc., which markets a broad range of products to the consumer and commercial food channels, has selected IRI as its preferred supplier of marketplace information and insights. The most recognized ACH Food brands are in the edible oil and specialty grocery product segments and include Mazola, Spice Island, Tone's, Argo, Karo and Fleischmann's.

"We need to understand our customers inside and out to take ACH to the next level," said Charlie Martin, president, consumer products group, ACH Food Companies, Inc. "The consumer panel data and services from IRI will help us gain a new perspective and understanding of our customers, so that we can track and grow current brands and launch successful new products."

Under the long-term agreement, IRI will provide syndicated data tracking services that will help ACH better analyze its performance across business units and improve sales and marketing execution. In addition, IRI will provide the following services and solutions to deepen ACH's understanding of its core consumers and gain new efficiencies:

--The IRI PlusSuite(TM) is a desktop reporting and analysis tool that combines ad-hoc access to IRI data with the power of Microsoft office. The PlusSuite lets users create and share clear, concise and dynamic sales and marketing reports and presentations that make complex information simple and put fact-based decision-making power in the right hands.

--IRI Builders Suite(TM) is an easy-to-use integrated tool that supplies users with insights into consumer behavior by integrating panel, store and demographic data. The Builders Suite allows users to uncover opportunities to increase category traffic, appeal more effectively to shoppers on a retailer-specific level, improve a brand's visibility, draw more profitable buyers and ultimately improve loyalty within the store.

--IRI MarketInsight(TM) for Wal-Mart is used by more than 50 leading CPG manufacturers and is the industry's best solution for measuring category and brand performance in Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer. It utilizes multiple best-in-class data sources, including IRI InfoScan(R) store-level data and data from its 70,000 ScanKey Consumer Network(TM) Household panel. These sources are combined with a patent-pending data fusion methodology to remove bias from panelist reporting, creating highly accurate estimates of Wal-Mart sales.

--IRI eSuite(TM) is a collection of e-learning courses delivered as an annual web-based subscription service that provides access to IRI training content, whenever and wherever it is needed. With a focus on learning solutions for CPG tools and topics, IRI eSuite provides training on demand. It cuts the costs of travel and reduces time away from the office by giving employees access to training from the PC on their desktops and in their field offices.

"We're very excited about our relationship with ACH," said IRI President and Chief Executive Officer Scott W. Klein. "The IRI market and consumer understanding solutions will help ACH uncover new opportunities in the marketplace, strengthen its customer relationships and identify new acquisitions that will complement its current portfolio of products."

About ACH Food Companies, Inc.

With plants across the United States, ACH Food Companies, Inc. markets a broad range of products to the consumer and commercial food channels. ACH products include Mazola Corn Oil, Capullo Canola Oil, Karo Corn Syrup and Argo Corn Starch brands, Fleischmann's and Spice Island brands, specialty shortenings and oil-based products, non-dairy spray dried products and cheeses and spray dried savory ingredients. ACH is a subsidiary of London-based Associated British Foods, plc (ABF), an international food, ingredients and retail group.

About Information Resources, Inc.

Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) is the world's leading provider of enterprise market information solutions and services, empowering its clients to grow their business profitably in a complex marketplace. Driving the transformation of the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, and healthcare industries, only IRI provides a unique combination of real-time market content, advanced analytics, enterprise performance management software, and professional services. The company's portfolio of services, solutions, and technology enable leading retailers and their suppliers around the globe to see what they are missing, act faster with greater confidence and win at the shelf. Ninety-five percent of the FORTUNE Global 500 in CPG and retail leverage IRI to power their business. For more information, visit http://us.infores.com.