Salinas, CA - August 07, 2006

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. announces the expansion of its category management team with the addition of four new members.

Brian Huh joins as Director of Sales Strategy for Dole Fresh Vegetables. He was most recently with Masterfoods as Senior National Operations and Strategy Manager, handling category management for both human food products and pet foods. He was previously with Daymon Associates on the PetsMart account. He earned his BS in Political Science from Cal State University, Long Beach and his MBA from the University of Southern California.

Kate Pleatman joins as Sales Strategy Analyst from Daymon Worldwide where she was Lead Analyst, Grocery Category Management, for four years. She was previously a Business Manager for The Jockey Club Technology Services Inc., Demand Planner for Procter and Gamble, and owned her own business, ImagePro. She earned her BA in Business Administration from Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, KY.

Diane Scott has been named Sales Strategy Analyst, joining Dole from Coca Cola Enterprises where she was a Category Manager and Marketing Analyst. Her prior experience includes Brassring Diversity as a Marketing Associate and John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company as an Alternate Dispute Liaison. She earned her BA in Marketing & International Business from Northeastern University in Massachusetts.

Darryl Bashford joins as Sales Strategy Analyst. He was previously with Fuji Photo Film USA as a Senior Analyst. Prior, he was with Waltham Services, Inc. as a Branch Sales Manager and Konica Quality Photo as an Assistant Manager, Product Division. He possesses a BA in Business Studies and German from the University of East London in England and an MBA in International Business Concentration from the Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dole Food Company, Inc., with 2005 revenues of $5.9 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 industry leader in nutrition education and research.

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.