DOLE Delivers Favorite of Farmer's Market to Local Grocery Stores; New Organic Blends Salads Will Be Available East of Mississippi.

Business Editors/Food Writers

SALINAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2000

A breath of fresh air will be felt in the produce section of your local supermarket chains Feb. 27 when Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. (DFV) launches a new line of Organic Blends salads.

First available throughout the Midwest and North Atlantic states in four delicious new ready-to-eat varieties -- Baby Lettuces, Baby Spinach, Hearts of Romaine Mix and Spring Mix with Herbs -- the Organic Blends provides crisp, fresh salads made with high-quality organic lettuces that are pre-washed, pre-cut and pre-packaged.

&uot;Among consumers who look for and appreciate organically grown food, yet sometimes wonder about the `organic' claim, the trusted DOLE(R) name delivers quality assurance,&uot; said Chris Mayhew, DFV director, New Product Development.

To qualify for the certified organic seal, DOLE(R) lettuces must be grown, handled, and processed without the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators or color additives. Land must be untreated for at least three years prior to harvest. Products must be certified by an independent certification organization and packages must be labeled &uot;ORGANICALLY GROWN AND PROCESSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CALIFORNIA ORGANIC FOODS ACT OF 1990.&uot; California is noted as having the highest organic quality standards.

Varieties Available

Organic Blends are packaged in 5.0- to 9.0-ounce bags at a suggested retail price of $2.79-$2.99. Choose from:

1.   Spring Mix with Herbs: a refreshing blend of baby lettuces,
     mustard greens, frisee, radicchio, Italian parsley and dill.

2.   Baby Lettuces: tender green and red romaine, green leaf lettuce
     and assorted baby lettuces.

3.   Hearts of Romaine Mix: a crisp blend of romaine, radicchio and
     frisee.

4.   Baby Spinach: tender, new spinach leaves.

Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc. is a subsidiary of the Dole Food Co. Inc. (NYSE:DOL). Dole, with revenues of approximately $5.0 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and vegetables, and markets a growing line of packaged foods and fresh flowers. For more information, visit the DOLE(R) Web site at http://www.dole.com.