Cub Foods Awarded Organic Retailer Certification.

STILLWATER, Minn. -- Cub Foods announced today that it has been awarded organic retailer certification by Quality Assurance International (QAI), the global leader in organic certification services. Cub's certification as an organic retailer comes after two years of preparation and is awarded for following strict USDA standards and procedures governing organic foods. The certification applies to all 66 Cub West stores.

"Our pursuit of organic certification is a demonstration of our commitment to provide customers with the highest quality foods available," said Brian Huff, president of Cub Foods. "Given the rapid growth of organic foods, the certification ensures shoppers that the integrity of our organic products is preserved from field to store."

Organic Certification

To gain QAI organic retailer certification, Cub Foods satisfied numerous special standards and criteria governing organics. Among those conditions were:

--Verification of current organic status of products;

--Maintenance of extensive record-keeping that demonstrates a clear audit trail and verifies the integrity of organic product;

--Verification that organic products are appropriately protected from commingling with conventional products and other prohibited materials;

--Comprehensive training of employees in the special handling practices of organic products; and

--Opening facilities to regular on-site inspections.

"We are proud to join a select group of grocers that have reached this level of quality and freshness," said Mike Witt, director of produce and floral at Cub Foods. "We're also excited to give our customers the option to buy their organic products where they buy the remainder of their groceries. Customers will see an even greater selection of organic products in our award-winning produce departments."

About Organic

Organic foods represent one of the fastest growing categories in the grocery industry. Organic products showed double-digit growth last year, according to the Natural Marketing Institute, with Americans spending 18 percent more on organics in 2004 than the previous year. The study also revealed that 39 percent of Americans consume organic products.

About Quality Assurance International

Quality Assurance International (QAI) is a global leader in organic certification services. With offices in the U.S., Canada and Japan, and operations in Latin America, QAI verifies organic and other claims for more than 2,700 client locations. Clients include agricultural producers, contract packing operations, primary manufacturers, trade distributors and retailers, among others. QAI's certification programs are designed to verify compliance at every link of the product handling chain. This assures the consumer that product integrity is preserved in the marketplace.

About Cub Foods

Cub Foods, one of the first discount food stores in the country, established the original concept of "Consumers United for Buying" in 1968. In 1980, SUPERVALU bought Cub Foods and expanded it from five stores to 52 stores in the Twin Cities. Cub's efficient buying, volume purchasing and disciplined format bring low prices, innovation and convenience to its customers.