Westlake Village, California - September 15, 2005

Dole Nutrition Institute Donates Salad Bars & Provides Nutrition EducationTo Public Schools Throughout California In 2006

Dole Nutrition Institute (DNI), the nutrition research and educational foundation established by Dole Food Company, Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David H. Murdock, today announced a new "School Salad Days" pilot program. Designed to encourage healthy eating habits and promote daily fruit and vegetable consumption in California public schools, the pilot program will be launched with the donation of an initial 50 full-service portable salad bars to California-based K-12 schools in 2006.

In addition to providing onsite self-serve salad bars, DNI (www.dolenutrition.com) will also offer recipient schools timely nutrition information. This continues Dole's longstanding commitment to the nutrition education through programs such as the Dole "5-A-Day" program (soon to be re-launched and updated as Dole SuperKids).

Other components of the "School Salad Days" program will include:

  • Partnering with school food service directors, nutritionists and healthcare providers to combat child obesity through better nutrition
  • Working with schools to develop fruit baskets to be sold as fund-raising alternatives
  • Helping schools plant on-site "edible gardens"

"Dole Food Company, Inc. shares Governor Schwarzenegger's commitment to preventing childhood obesity," said DNI Director Jennifer Grossman. "By increasing access to fruits and vegetables and teaching the importance of nutrition, we hope to be part of the solution to the epidemic of childhood obesity in California."

The Dole Nutrition Institute (www.dolenutrition.com)

Launched in 2003, Dole Nutrition Institute is a research and education foundation in Westlake Village, California, that offers:

  • A state-of-the-art phytochemical laboratory working with over 40 food scientists and 30 PhDs from around the world 
  • Self-produced health and nutrition segments that run on airline in-flight TV
  • The online Dole Nutrition Newsletter and brochures including What You Need to Eat Everyday & Why.
  • Educational Websites including dolenutrition.com and dolesuperfoods.com
  • A hardbound food encyclopedia 
  • An award-winning Workplace Wellness program

Dole Nutrition Institute is a division of Dole Food Company, Inc. Dole, with 2004 revenues of $5.3 billion, is the world's largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and fresh-cut flowers. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen foods and is a produce leader in nutrition education and research. More information about Dole is available on its website at www.dole.com.

This release contains "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements, which are based on management's current expectations, are generally identifiable by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "expects," "believes," "intends" and similar expressions. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied herein include weather-related phenomena; market responses to industry volume pressures; product and raw materials supplies and pricing; electrical power supply and pricing; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; economic crises and security risks in developing countries; international conflict; and quotas, tariffs and other governmental actions. Further information on the factors that could affect Dole's financial results is included in its SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K.