World Returns to Omaha for 40th Anniversary of World's Championship Chili Cookoff; ConAgra Foods Sponsorship to Serve Up Ingredients for Award-winning Recipes.

OMAHA, Neb. -- And the heat goes O!n. For a second consecutive year, the City of Omaha's Lewis & Clark Landing will host the World's Championship Chili Cookoff(TM), bringing together more than 400 of the world's best chili cooks Oct. 6-8 to compete in stirring up the perfect combination of spices and quality ingredients into a super bowl of chili, with up to $30,000 in prize money on the line for the winning recipe.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the World's Championship Chili Cookoff, which attracted an estimated 10,000 chili fans last year, and is expected to provide a boost to the local economy and put Omaha on the map as chili capital, said Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey, who joined leaders from the International Chili Society (ICS) and ConAgra Foods to announce the cookoff's return to Omaha and sample last year's winning red chili recipe at a press briefing in the customer test kitchen at ConAgra Foods' Culinary Center of Excellence.

Omaha's selection for a rematch reflects the success of last year's event, according to national and local ICS representatives, who joined the Mayor in expressing appreciation for ConAgra Foods' role as sponsoring host. They also praised the strong turnout by thousands of residents who watched 400 award-winning cooks from the United States and beyond duel with their stirring chili renditions on the sun-soaked banks of the Missouri last fall for the officially sanctioned world's best honors in traditional red chili, green "verde" chili and salsa categories.

"For the world's best chili, tasting is believing. For a world-class event, seeing is believing," said Mayor Fahey. "Last year it was clear to me and the thousands of participants and attendees that Omaha, the ICS and ConAgra Foods really know how to host a first-class event. Thanks to ConAgra Foods for its generous support, and to the ICS for once again making Omaha the chili capital of the nation."

"The world is returning to Omaha to find the perfect chili, which is a strong testament to the world-class character of our community," said Mike Fernandez, senior vice president, corporate affairs, and chief communications officer, ConAgra Foods. "Once again, the chili championship will provide an excellent opportunity for ConAgra Foods to learn and share tips about great chili with the champions, and also showcase our great-tasting brands that provide the perfect ingredients for so many chili recipes. Quality brands and products like Hunt's(R) tomatoes, Gebhardt(R) chili powder, Ro*Tel(R) diced tomatoes & green chilies, Gilroy Foods(TM) garlic and Wesson(R) Oil, are helping consumers and chili fans across America make their own world-class chili."

Carol Hancock, ICS owner and chief executive officer, said: "Omaha and ConAgra Foods were superb partners in 2005. We look forward to our best chili cookoff ever as we celebrate our 40th anniversary in October. This is a remarkably friendly, supportive community. I know I speak for the chili cooks when I say that Omaha really is a red hot host city in our books--it has all the ingredients you need for a great world's championship chili cookoff."

In its four decades, ICS has sanctioned cookoffs across the world for charitable and non-profit organizations, raising nearly $80 million and qualifying regional winners to compete in the World's Championship Chili Cookoff. Prizes for winners among the more than 400 teams in Omaha at the 2006 cookoff will total $40,000, including a $25,000 top prize, from ICS. ConAgra Foods will sponsor an additional $5,000 prize for a winning red chili that includes ingredients from the company's brands, such as quality Hunt's tomato products, Gebhardt's chili powder, Ro*Tel diced tomatoes & green chilies, Gilroy Foods garlic and Wesson(R) Oil.

In addition to its sponsorship, ConAgra Foods' Culinary Center of Excellence (CCOE) also played a role in last year's chili cookoff, with its top chefs participating in the judging as well as hosting chili samplings and seminars for thousands of attendees. The CCOE continues to promote chili competition winners and their recipes online and through the ICS, and also provides cooking ideas and advice for the growing number of chili fans looking to prepare world-class chili in the comfort of their own homes.

ConAgra Foods is a natural partner for America's long-time love of chili, with its quality brands and ingredients helping to produce the winning recipe at last year's championship chili cookoff, and also in homes and kitchens across America. ConAgra Foods has committed to being a resource and center for chili excellence, whether for world's chili champions looking for the very latest on top chili ingredients, or the millions of Americans looking to cook up a super bowl of chili to satisfy friends and family watching the Big Game or just enjoy a great chili.

Enthusiasm for chili in the United States continues to grow among every-day consumers, and more avid fans and "chiliheads," many of whom attend officially sanctioned and regulated competitive chili cookoffs. The ICS currently sanctions 180 plus events annually attended by more than 750,000 people.

Origins of Chili - the All-American Food

While no one knows for sure exactly where chili originated, some historians have concluded the first bowl of chili was made by a group of Spanish colonists who founded San Antonio, Texas, in the early 18th century. But in 1976, Rufus Valdez, a full-blooded Ute Indian and Utah native, won the world's chili championship using what he claimed to be a 2,000-year-old Ute recipe that had been passed to the Utes by Pueblo cliff dwellers in Mesa Verde, Ariz. It took the advent of the cattle drive, however, to spread the popularity of chili as an all-American food with the persistence of a fine habanero. By the early 20th century, chili had become a national dish and chili parlors emerged around the country.

About International Chili Society and World's Championship Chili Cookoff

The ICS is a not-for-profit organization that sanctions chili cookoffs. These events are worldwide and benefit charities or nonprofit organizations. Winners of ICS-sanctioned cookoffs qualify to compete for cash prizes and awards at the World's Championship Chili Cookoff, which has been held annually since 1967. The ICS is the largest food contest, festival organization in the world. It currently reaches more than 750,000 attendees a year through 180 plus events annually. Its sole purpose is to promote, develop and improve the preparation and appreciation of true chili and to determine each year the World's Champion Chili through officially sanctioned and regulated competitive cookoffs. ICS- sanctioned cookoffs include three categories: Red (traditional red chili), Chili Verde (green chili) and Salsa, with a World Champion crowned annually in each category. This association shall further the camaraderie of chiliheads on behalf of charitable and nonprofit organizations in the world. For more information, visit www.chilicookoff.com.

About ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is one of North America's largest packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Gebhardt, Gilroy Foods, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM, Ro*Tel, Wesson Oil and many others. For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com.