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Landec and Chiquita Expand Current Banana Licensing Agreement and Enter into New Avocado License Agreement.


MENLO PARK Menlo Park.

1 Residential city (1990 pop. 28,040), San Mateo co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. Electronic equipment and aerospace products are manufactured in the city. Menlo College and a Stanford Univ. research institute are there.

2 Uninc.
, Calif. -- Landec Corporation (Nasdaq: LNDC LNDC Lesotho National Development Corporation ), a developer and marketer of technology-based polymer products for food, agricultural and licensed partner applications, and Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
: CQB CQB Close Quarters Battle
CQB Close Quarter Battle (Mike Curtis novel) 
) announced today that Landec's food subsidiary, Apio, Inc., has expanded its joint technology license and supply agreement with Chiquita, initially entered into in September 2004, providing Chiquita use of Landec's patented BreatheWay([R]) packaging technology for Chiquita bananas ba·nan·as  
adj. Slang
Crazy: "That's the horrible thing when you're bananas
. The expanded agreement includes additional exclusive fields for bananas. Further, as part of this agreement, Landec and Chiquita have entered into a new exclusive license using Landec's BreatheWay packaging technology for avocados.

"This expanded agreement covers additional exclusive fields for bananas which are strategically important to Chiquita, and new applications for packaging and selling avocados, resulting in expanded market opportunities for both Chiquita and Landec's BreatheWay packaging technology. Under this agreement, in exchange for expanding the exclusive license fields for bananas and adding an exclusive license for avocados, the minimum gross profit amounts to Landec from the purchase of BreatheWay packaging by Chiquita will increase a total of $2.1 million over Landec's next two fiscal years to $2.9 million in fiscal year 2008 and to $2.2 million in fiscal year 2009. Both Landec and Chiquita currently expect that the purchases of BreatheWay packaging by Chiquita in Landec's fiscal year 2009 will exceed the minimum purchase level of $2.2 million and will continue to increase appreciably ap·pre·cia·ble  
adj.
Possible to estimate, measure, or perceive: appreciable changes in temperature. See Synonyms at perceptible.
 in subsequent years," stated Gary Steele Gary Steele is an British professional wrestler who has competed in European and North American promotions and has been a popular longtime mainstay of NWA UK Hammerlock since the mid-1990s. , Landec's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are pleased that Chiquita recognizes the unique properties of Landec's Intelimer[R] BreatheWay packaging technology with plans to use our packaging technology as a key enabler in their strategy to bring innovative, value-added products to market."

"Landec's BreatheWay technology has enabled us to deliver significantly longer shelf life to expand distribution and meet consumers' needs for perfectly ripe Chiquita bananas all the time, with popular products such as single Chiquita to Go[TM] bananas," said Bob Kistinger, president and chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO)

The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president.
, Chiquita Fresh Group. "We're excited to expand our relationship with Landec for bananas and obtain an exclusive license to Landec technology for avocados. BreatheWay technology will allow us to offer high-quality, ripe-and-ready avocados with extended shelf life, which fits our strategy to deliver innovative, higher-margin products that meet the needs of customers and consumers for fresh, healthy, convenient foods."

Under the expanded long-term Long-term

Three or more years. In the context of accounting, more than 1 year.


long-term

1. Of or relating to a gain or loss in the value of a security that has been held over a specific length of time. Compare short-term.
 agreement, Landec will continue to supply Chiquita with its proprietary BreatheWay packaging technology for the ripening ripening

said of meat. See curing.
, conservation and shelf-life extension of bananas, and now avocados, on a worldwide basis and for certain applications on an exclusive basis. In addition, Landec will provide Chiquita with ongoing research and development, process technology support for the BreatheWay membranes and packages, and technical service support throughout the customer chain in order to assist in the development and market acceptance of the technology.

For its part, Chiquita will provide marketing, distribution and retail sales support for Chiquita bananas and avocados sold worldwide in BreatheWay packaging. To maintain the exclusive license, Chiquita must meet new increased minimum purchase thresholds of BreatheWay packages starting in Landec's current fiscal year.

Steele commented, "This is an important milestone for both Landec and Chiquita to continue to advance and take advantage of our joint progress and momentum in building and delivering unique value-added products where we extend shelf life and deliver higher quality products to the consumer. We believe Chiquita has the best recognized brand worldwide for fresh fruit combined with exceptional technical, logistics, sourcing and marketing capabilities. We have worked well together as partners since 2004 and it was a logical step for us to expand our relationship."

"This agreement is consistent with our stated goals for fiscal year 2008 and beyond to expand the use of our proprietary technology for perishable per·ish·a·ble  
adj.
Subject to decay, spoilage, or destruction.

n.
Something, especially foodstuff, subject to decay or spoilage. Often used in the plural.
 fruit applications," Steele said. "Landec and Chiquita have invested considerable efforts over the past three years in developing a variety of proprietary packaging products to extend the shelf life of bananas, and we are jointly developing BreatheWay packaging for avocado avocado (ä`vəkä`do, ăv`–), tropical American broad-leaved evergreen tree of the genus Persea of the family Lauraceae (laurel family).  products as Landec's first fruit application beyond bananas."

Landec's patented BreatheWay food packaging technology regulates the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide carbon dioxide, chemical compound, CO2, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is about one and one-half times as dense as air under ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure.  within a package to maintain the optimum atmosphere in order to extend the shelf life of produce. The versatility of the BreatheWay food packaging technology extends the shelf life of fresh-cut vegetables up to 17-20 days and extends the shelf life of bananas by 7 days.

With annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion, Chiquita Brands International, Inc. (NYSE: CQB) is a leading international marketer and distributor of high-quality fresh and value-added food products - from energy-rich bananas and other fruits to nutritious nutritious /nu·tri·tious/ (noo-trish´us) affording nourishment.

nu·tri·tious
adj.
Providing nourishment; nourishing.



nutritious

affording nourishment.
 blends of convenient green salads. Chiquita's products and services are designed to win the hearts and smiles of the world's consumers by helping them enjoy healthy fresh foods. Chiquita markets its products under the Chiquita([R]) and Fresh Express([R]) premium brands and other related trademarks. Chiquita employs approximately 25,000 people operating in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.chiquita.com.

Landec Corporation (Nasdaq: LNDC) designs, develops, manufactures and sells temperature-activated and other specialty polymer products for a variety of food, agricultural and licensed partner applications. Landec's temperature-activated polymer products are based on its proprietary Intelimer polymers which differ from other polymers in that they can be customized to abruptly a·brupt  
adj.
1. Unexpectedly sudden: an abrupt change in the weather.

2. Surprisingly curt; brusque: an abrupt answer made in anger.

3.
 change their physical characteristics when heated or cooled through a pre-set temperature switch. For more information, visit Landec's website at www.landec.com.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements forward-looking statement

A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections.
 that involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risk factors are listed in Landec's Form 10-K Form 10-K

A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information.


Form 10-K

See 10-K.
 for the fiscal year ended May 27, 2007 (See item 1A: Risk Factors). As a result of these and other factors, Landec expects to continue to experience fluctuations in quarterly operating results and there can be no assurance that it will remain consistently profitable. Landec undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new developments or otherwise.
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Publication:Business Wire
Date:Sep 25, 2007
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