American Culinary Institute Launches New Identity; Experts in Taste and Food Enjoyment Unveil New Brand.

Business Editors/Food Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 22, 2003

Formerly known as American Tasting Institute, American Culinary Institute and Quality Institute International, the American Culinary Institute (ACI) today announced the completion of its restructuring under a single corporate brand and debuted its new corporate identity. The American Culinary Institute is an independent chef-based organization dedicated to recognizing and honoring the best food and food related products.

In its new headquarters in San Francisco's Levi Plaza, ACI has built a state-of-the-art judging center that includes a world-class kitchen plus a tasting and testing room designed to support its rigorous review of food, beverage and culinary housewares products. ACI has a rotating panel of independent, professional chef-judges conduct a double-blind judging process to evaluate thousands of products a year. The best products are recognized in each category with an award that can be displayed on award winners' packaging, advertising and marketing materials. Only one winner in each food and food-related category is selected as an ACI Award winner. ACI Awards include Best Taste (retail food), Best Product (retail culinary equipment), and Best of Class (professional foodservice food and equipment). The results of this rigorous judging help consumers and foodservice professionals select the best products in thousands of categories.

Guiding the organization to achieve the highest standards of culinary testing is the American Culinary Institute National Chef Board, comprised of world-renowned leaders in the culinary community. They support and endorse ACI and champion the integrity and credibility of the established ACI judging process for food and food-related products that guide the American consumer to make the best buying decision possible.

"To better serve consumers, and to strengthen its commitment to honoring the best, ACI undertook extensive fact-based consumer, manufacturer and trade research, which resulted in the new corporate name and identity," said ACI Chairman and CEO John Parker. "The new ACI Award medallion will appear on retail packages of best tasting foods and food related products starting in January 2004. The ACI Award symbolizes the best and reinforces food enjoyment for American families."

As part of its plans for expanded services for consumers and manufacturers, ACI has launched a new Web site that provides facts about its rigorous judging process, ACI Award-winning products, and information on taste and food enjoyment. For more information about ACI, its National Chef Board, chef-judging process and award-winning products, visit www.chefsbest.org.

About American Culinary Institute

Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., the American Culinary Institute judges food products and culinary equipment via panels of accredited, professional chefs to determine the best food and culinary brands in America through secure, double-blind test procedures. The ACI chef-based organization was founded in 1985 and has established both a highly trained Chef-Judging Panel and a National Chef Board of culinary leaders, which supports the organization's mission of honoring the best products in America. When consumers and culinary professionals see the ACI Best Taste, Best Product, or Best of Class Award on food and culinary products for retail and foodservice products, they know that it has passed the rigorous test applied by our chef-based judging panel to uncover and honor the best products in the marketplace. For more information, please visit us at www.chefsbest.org.