Westlake Village, California - April 13, 2001

Dole Food Company, Inc. (NYSE: DOL) announced today that its 2001 Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be held June 8, 2001.

April 18, 2001 has been fixed as the Record Date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

Items to come before the meeting are (1) election of directors; (2) approval of the Company's 2001 Stock Option and Award Plan; (3) approval of changing the Company's state of incorporation from Hawaii to Delaware; and (4) election of Arthur Andersen LLP as the Company's independent public accountants and auditors for 2001.

Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2000 revenues of $4.8 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers, and markets a growing line of packaged foods.